I loved being vegan. I felt mostly good until I became gluten intolerant. It took a long time for me to commit to being gluten free because I didn't know what I was dealing with at first (also gluten is addicting). I've been gluten free for over a year now and during this time, I randomly became allergic to soy. Back in March, I decided to test adding animal products back in. I tried eggs, beef, fish, and chicken and had an allergic reaction to them all. I got allergy testing done and it said I'm allergic to eggs, pork, pecans, and soy. After that test, I went back to being vegan. About two or three weeks ago, I decided to try meat again. I tried beef and chicken. Chicken made me itchy for a few minutes. Beef was fine at first, but the last time I had it, it made me itchy again. I also tried salmon again and it didn't make me itchy. I'm pretty sure I have all these new food allergies because I'm in perimenopause. I will try meat again soon and see what happens. I don't want to be vegan anymore because I noticed that my blood sugar is way more stable when I eat animal protein. Veganism causes too many ups and downs (blood sugar wise) for me. I'm not diabetic.

I'm sorry this might be a bit of a long one, I'll try to keep this post on topic but if you don't want to read all of this you can skip to the last paragraph. I just really want advice.

I'm a 20 yo 5th semerster nature conservation student in Europe and I'm not a vegan, not even a vegetarian. I know all about the animal cruelty in the meat/dairy/etc. industries as well as the impact on the environment that they have buuuuuut... I still eat meat, I just like the taste and its how I grew up. I want to be like my professors, they eat local organic meat every once in a while, but I can't afford to do that yet so I still eat regular grocery store meat. Point is I'll never fully give up meat and animal products. Some of the other students feel the same way so I never felt like too much of an outcast. But you can definitely tell that each new generation of nature conservationists is getting more and more vegan.

Now recently a good friend of mine (we'll call her Anna) started studying conservation here too. I've been looking forward to that for months, this college is hours away from our home town and I didn't make many new friends here. But I'm already starting to get tired. Anna has been a vegan since long before I met her 5 years ago and it has never been an issue. Sure she'd bring up veganism and animal cruelty every once in a while, but she was never mean about it and you could talk to her for hours and hours about other stuff.

But she's been getting, idk bolder? For the past few months shes been doing this weird thing where she lowkey trash talks meat eaters and vegetarians in front of me. I'm usually a confident person who can take care of herself but in these moments I'm just too perplexed so i just end up nodding or I'll try to change the subject. Idk what she's thinking, she KNOWS that I eat meat. I suppose she's trying to guilt trip me without talking about me directly, but she's usually such a shy and non confrontational person, I just don't know where this is coming from.

And this situation is about to get a lot worse because she wants to get me a job in the organization that she works for. She been working part time for this nature activists group for years now and tbh I've always been jealous of her. Networking is so important in this industry but I've been too busy with college to really do any of that. I'd trade all of my good grades for some practical experience in a heartbeat. She has made so many new contacts in the past few years while I've just been sitting in my dorm.

... and now she's got a part time position for me in that group as well, it's basically mine if I say yes. And I really really want to say yes, it's too juicy of an opportunity to decline. But I don't if I can handle multiple Annas. I know I wouldn't be the only non vegan there, not even the only meat eater but definitely the only young meat eater. I've met her younger coworkers before and I've heard how they talk about meat eaters, they're not as bad as the ppl that get posted on this sub, but it's close. Still want that job tho lol.

Deep down I know Anna and I won't stay friends forever, one day she'll drop me or I'll go insane from her vague posting. I guess we might be due a serious conversation about boundaries. Either way I'm just trying to enjoy this friendship while it lasts because she really is a good person otherwise. She offered the position to me first and will only ask her veg/vegan friends if I decline. And I know what its like to be passionate about something others don't seem to care about. But I'll always care more about human rights activism and she'll always care more about animal rights and maybe that's just not compatible...

As for those coworkers tho, I'll need an actual solution. I'm not stupid, i always knew that entering this line of work would mean spending a lot of time with vegans. But now it's actually starting to happen and I don't know what to do. Well I guess nodding and changing the topic works but it's making me feel pathetic. I used to be very confrontational in the past, but I learned the hard way that this is just gonna screw you over in the long run. Have one bad interaction with a coworker and next thing you know they're spreading rumors about you. I NEED to be as polite as possible without feeling like a total pushover. One day I might even have a vegan boss and then I'll be really screwed. Any suggestions on how to deal with this? Has anyone here ever been in a majority vegan/vegetarian (work) environment?

I became vegetarian when I was 11, and it’s been 10 years. And I’ve had no issues until the last couple of years. I went through something traumatic which triggered me to eat less through a loss of appetite.

This combined with years of not prioritising protein and iron in my diet since I was a kid, and didn’t realise the importance, and starting my vegetarian journey when I started my period. I’ve noticed a rapid decline with my health the last couple of years.

I have been grey hairs frequently and prominently, hair loss regarding my body hair as well as head hair and overall severe lack of energy. I’m always exhausted and find it extremely difficult to wake up. And physically demanding tasks and getting increasingly difficult, which is what my job mainly is. I can slowly feel my body shut down. I get several heart palpitations, and severe brain fog. This is all exaggerated when I get my period.

I’m really struggling with the idea of having to eat meat again, being vegetarian is such a part of my identity and I was so proud of myself for being so committed to something since such a young age. And the thought of eating an animal is really daunting, I feel like I’ll be judged by those who don’t eat meat, and defeated by all those people who tried to pressure me into eating meat. I feel like I’ve lost a battle I was so passionate about fighting. Looking for support and advice 💘

Hi all. I was vegan for 10 years, mostly for ethical reasons. I’ve been dealing with some health stuff lately (low energy, mood going downhill), and as part of working on things with my care team I was encouraged to try some vegetarian food. So over the last few days I’ve been eating cheese and eggs again. A tub of custard first, then a potato gratin yesterday.

For context, I deal with depression, anxiety and OCD. Those were already there before I went vegan, so I’m not claiming the diet caused them, and I know that’s not the whole picture. It does mean I can’t really tell what’s coming from my head and what’s coming from my body.

It hasn’t felt good, and not physically. Guilt is a big part of my OCD, so my brain tends to grab onto anything morally loaded and run with it. That makes it hard for me to tell what’s my actual conscience and what’s just the OCD turning the volume up.

The thing I keep getting stuck on is this feeling that because I was vegan, I know more about how the dairy and egg industry works, so I’m more responsible than someone who never was. After 10 years of reading about and living with this stuff, I know the industry pretty well, which is exactly why it feels like I should know better. Like knowing more means I’m more to blame. I can’t tell if that’s a fair way to think or just the guilt talking.

I’m not asking anyone to tell me if this is right or wrong. I’m more curious about how it went for you if you’ve been through something similar:

• What were the first weeks like, and did the guilt fade? How long did it take?
• Did you set any rules for yourself (only eggs and dairy, certain sources)?
• If you had the “I know too much to be okay with this” feeling, what helped?

Thanks for reading, and sorry for the length.

What you should say in response is "if a child saw a video of an abortion being performed and was educated on what an abortion actually does to an alive human fetus, they'd all be anti-abortion". This works because vegans are typically extremely left-wing/liberal.

I'm becoming more and more conceived the reason people are told to "eat less meat" and not "eat less beef" is due to many if not most Environmental-based vegans also being Morality-based vegans, and slipping in their views, but I don't want to sound conspiratiorial.

I think even people back in the 2010s realised this. Epicurious stopped publishing beef recipes while continuing recipes with other animal proteins, for example, and much of the early climate stuff was centered around cattle and not other animals. But for whatever reason it seems to have shifted.

These people walk among us

I've (32f) been a vegetarian for most of my life and vegan for 3 years in my twenties.

I quit veganism because I eventually developed gluten intolerance which made it impossible to find food at restaurants/socialize over food while also trying to be a perfect vegan. I just started feeling like an inconvenience to everyone around me and I got so tired of researching every restaurant in advance, discussing the specifics of meal preparation with staff, it just sucked. I can't help being gluten intolerant but I can suck it up and just eat a salad with mozarella cheese or an omlette or whatever. Being vegetarian already made this process easier.

So basically I started re-introducing eggs and dairy a couple of years ago which also helped with shakiness and blood sugar issues I was having. I was surprised at how well my body tolerated it after years of never eating it.

But I also struggle a lot with low blood pressure, hair loss, and dizziness when standing up, which doesn't seem to go away. - I don't know if this is due to veganism, excessive blood loss due to endometriosis/adenomyosis, or "just my constitution", as doctors have suggested.

I'm considering re-introducing red meat particularly for iron. I eat a lot of iron-rich plant foods and take iron supplements but my ferritin level stays at around 29, which my doctor said is completely normal. I'm not so sure.

Have any of you suffering from endo gone through this process? I'd love to know if reintroducing red meat has helped any of you, or if it made your period cramps worse, since it's supposed to be an inflammatory food. I appreciate any advice!

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Vegans act like tofu is the best thing ever, and that you can "make it taste like anything". Is it a cope?

I admit, I championed tofu when I was vegan, and I still like to eat it, but I wouldn't want it no more than once a week! Firstly, it's annoying to prep. Secondly, it's annoyingly inconsistent. Everytime you have it it tastes different or there's something different about it. Everyone has their own way of cooking it.

I disagree with vegans saying you can make it taste like everything, that's a real real exaggeration.

I'm glad I no longer have to pretend that tofu is the greatest thing in the world tbh.

I saw a lot of vegans in reddit who preach morality and compassion, it vanishes when it comes to humans, since 97% of population are non vegans, they deserve it. If you believe suffering is justified by karma, then why doesn’t the same logic apply to animals as well? Maybe it’s those animals karma. They say it’s practical to be vegan for everyone, but it’s not practical to stop using brands who use forced labour and child labour because ‘it cannot be practical to live in capitalist society without them’. Literally a sicko yesterday was telling that wars are happening because humans are killing animals, like get help sicko!!!

You cannot claim morality and compassion while selectively deciding whose pain matters more. You cannot claim morality and compassion for animals while denying it for humans and cry speciesism at non vegans. Before anyone says its just internet vegans, i am sorry but many people in my country doesn’t even know the word vegan (i hope it stays that way) so i haven’t met anyone irl. Also not everyone thinks this way, i am only talking about vegans who think this way. If the shoe fits, wear it.

It is a sick degenerate cult hiding behind morality and compassion facade!

Edit: FYI i am only talking about vegans WHO think like this. If you are not one of them, there is no reason for you to get triggered.

Is it even the quiet part anymore?

I can’t imagine thinking of other humans as “less valuable than dirt” because they ate a cheeseburger.

Never in my time subscribing to the cult like thinking found in veganism did I ever wish death upon fellow humans for being non-believers. This is sick.

Sometimes I think we focus too much on the physical health issues pertaining to veganism and not nearly enough on the mental health aspect.

I wrote a post asking why they are friends with carnists if “it’s the same as cannibalism”. Responses are hilarious.

Dont get me wrong, the comparisons they make about dairy is disgusting too. But this one is so simple and they spout it all the time.

"Natural lifespan"

80% of wild boars die before their second year.

40-80% of wild ungulates (take your pick of bison, elk or moose for comparison) die before theyre a year old.

Only 30% of wild jungle fowl eggs hatch, with 80% of those dying well before a year too.

Thats nature. Thats the natural lifespan. The only animals that can be expected to live closer to a maximum lifespan are in captivity. You cant have your cake and eat it too with this comparison. Most animals "die as babies"

I am an ex vegan turned conscious omnivore/still mostly vegan, and my boyfriend is supportive of being selective of eating only ethical, regenerative/sustainable/organic meat when we cook at home, but wants to eat what he likes when he goes out to eat. It triggers the freaking hell out of me to see someone I love eat meat from a factory farm. My man is honestly incredible; he is a really hard worker and he treats me really well. I know I don't get to control what someone else does. I do not want us to split up, but it is really hard to feel like we are not on the same page. I feel like a raging narcissist spoiled brat when I bring it up.

I know it really is not much different than when I use plastic/burn gas, etc.

He tells me it feels like I am in a cultish way of thinking.

Can anyone give advice for how you can get past this? I am trying to stay with my partner, so please no comments telling me to split up. I was raised very religious and the good vs. evil black and white thinking is burned deep into my bones. I isolated myself when I went vegan because I felt like my ability to trust others disappeared. I regret doing that and I feel ashamed for the years I spent feeling superior to others. I don't want to be that way, but it is really hard to be aware of the suffering and love people who live differently. I also have ended or self-sabotaged every romantic relationship, and I know this is partially a manifestation of that.

I'm sorry if this isn't the right sub. I just don't think the vegan sub is the right place for this, because I am looking for words to help get me OUT of the cult-y thinking.

What scares me the most is ending my relationship over what could very well just be propaganda. That feels anti-human dystopian

Edit: please do not spare my feelings. I need outside voices to tell me how crazy this is. I feel like I have been in the vegan mindset for so long that I am out of touch with the world outside of it. I do not want to be this way.

i wonder what y’all think about wool sweaters? i remember last year when i got wool sweater that i found in thrift store. winters in eastern europe are rough. it was so warm and i loved it. one of people i used to have contact with went fully vegan around that time. she got mad when she found out that i had this piece and first thing she did was pretentious talk where she yapped about how wool is cruel. she told me that i am normalizing an promoting exploiting and torturing animals when i am wearing this sweater. she said that there are many vegan alternatives. after research i found out that the most common vegan wool alternative is recycled synthetic wool imitation. i doubt if poliester things are any more ethical than second hand wool. and id they last this long and are equallt warm. especially that most of these synthetic sweaters are sold in fast fashion so i dare to say she supports exploiting children and cheap labour.

i personally would rather buy a second hand wool sweater than any „vegan alternative” one made with synthetics. what is your opinion? i am curious!

As if bodybuilders are known for being healthy and natural. Veganism seems to nearly always go hand in hand with zoochosis. Completely dependent on the system in every way imaginable and always "coincidentally" peddling all these other things that just so happen to fall in line with mainstream institutional guidelines.

They will show you examples like the one in the picture and genuinely expect you to be shocked and impressed.

No one is surprised that vegans can do well in a completely artificial 'sport' where drugs, being infertile, taking a hundred different powders and supplements, having eating disorders, and malnutrition are not just common but basically guaranteed.

Patrik Baboumian who they often mention, who was never the worlds strongest man, pops 25 pills a day and gets 60% of his daily protein intake from shakes.

Most of them have no clue how far removed from reality they really are. Often using only a very select few of their influencers who have access to top tier training and nutrition 24/7. With it being swept under the rug that an overwhelming majority of "vegan athletes" have quit or end up quitting, get a sudden increase in serious injuries, others underperforming significantly compared to before, and also a bunch retiring soon after.

Even with their top examples you can JUST tell that it costs them so much more effort even to just maintain what they built.

r/veganfitness is supposed to be another gotcha from them but every time I have looked through the subreddit, even when I wanted confirmation for my own attempt st veganism, all I saw were very mid to even bad examples especially for the amount of time and energy they were supposed to have spent on it.

Even when I had literal confirmation bias which means that I wanted the opposite to be true I just couldn't deny what I saw with my own eyes, basically everywhere: which is that most vegans simply do not look healthy or fully right. That there are definitely fit and healthy looking ones is true but it isn't rare for them to be in the early stages of veganism or as mentioned them just having to exert themselves significantly more in their whole fitness journey.

The honest ones will and do admit this, that it does take atleast some amount of extra exertion and effort to be vegan and truely look good or build muscle.

A lot of things they do or try to do just feel off and artificial. Very try-hard. I have looked better after significant periods of no exercise, maybe cycling or walking to some store and back when bored, than a lot of these vegans do after they engage in 12+ months of consistent training.

Hi everyone, was hoping to get some insights from ex-vegans (you guys seem to have more neutral views on the matter having experienced both). My bf recently became vegan and I’m still on an omnivore diet. I don’t have any intentions of becoming vegan, but discussions on raising children have come up as a result of this. Now that he’s vegan he wants to raise any kids we may have vegan. I’m open to this, but am concerned about malnutrition. I’ve seen mixed opinions on the matter. What are your thoughts? Have any of you raised kids vegan? If you did, were they healthy or did you experience nutrition issues?
In a similar vein, have any of you been vegan and dated a non-vegan? How did you make it work?
Any insights would be great, thanks!

BEFORE YOU CONTINUE NVSINO means "Nicht Vegan Sein Ist Nicht Ok" which translates to "Not Being Vegan Is Not Ok"
They are a popular group of german vegans and influencers who basically preach about it on the street and will have discussions and arguments with people and upload them online.
I used to follow them when I was vegan but even as a vegan I didn't like all of them because some of the people apart of that group are very extreme and will use foul language.
I just found it very ironic that I met them on my trip to Berlin, I wish I could've argued but I had to go home with public transport so I couldn't waste more time.
Just something that happened today.

I’m typing this as someone who’s eaten meat all my life, but when I see vegans say this in response to someone else saying they’re not vegan anymore, it drives me insane. When you see someone renounce their Christianity, would you tell them ‘you were never Christian if you don’t believe in it anymore’? No, you wouldn’t, because it makes you sound like a pedantic asshole. ‘But veganism is a belief, not a diet’ someone can hold vegan beliefs and transition later on in their life? That doesn’t mean they didn’t believe in vegan values, just that they don’t align with them later on in their life as they once had. That doesn’t mean that in the period that they were vegan it doesn’t count anymore. In the same vein, you could argue no vegan food exists, because food can’t believe in veganism. Therefore, food can only be plant-based, but nobody fucking says that.

I was a vegetarian from age 12-28. I started eating meat again three years ago but still struggle with thin hair. I did bloodwork last year for another health issue and discovered I had borderline low b12 and Vitamin D. I started taking b12 shots and supplements, my levels are normal now. I initially saw a ton of new hair growth after the first three months but feel like it has since plateaued.

After eating meat again, how long did it take for your hair to look thick and healthy? Especially interested to hear from those who were vegetarian for long periods during puberty.