Mainly this topic is for vegans... [I was a vegetarian for many years and never really noticed any *bonuses* to it. ] What are some great things that you've noticed about yourself since you went vegan...mentally, physically, and appearance wise? I for one, have lost TONS of weight since I went vegan, and I honestly eat TONS. It makes me really happy, because most Americans seem to think that in order to lose weight you have to sacrifice a lot... you either have to eat a lot less, or stop enjoying foods you love. I still enjoy all the foods I love in a vegan form, and I eat tons of it, and I've lost over 30 pounds since I went vegan. Next, my hair seems to grow a lot faster... which proves a lot of myths wrong. For the longest time my hair would simply NOT grow, and now it's growing like weeds. It seems healthier and shinier... I don't get breakage as often, and doesn't seem as limp. My skin feels softer and has a *glow* to it. I FEEL better... emotionally and physically. I don't just feel better emotionally because I'm happy to support the cause, but because I can actually function. I sleep better, have more energy when I'm awake, and I'm not as irritable as I used to be. I digest things better [i always had a problem with that in the past, lol] I don't get heartburn anymore, or stomach aches. My headaches have subsided DRASTICALLY since I went vegan. Aside from that, I also notice my teeth and gums are healthier. I used to get cavities alllll the time, no matter how much I brushed and flossed, and now it seems as if cavities aren't even anything to worry about for me. I must also add that for the first time, I lost weight without losing my BOOBS. LOL. Everytime I lost weight in the past, my boobs were the FIRST thing to go, and now that's not so. That makes me a happy idiot. I also noticed that my face looks healthier. My eyes don't look dark and sunken in, they look ALIVE. So, what have YOU noticed since you went vegan? I thought this would be a great topic to post, because aside from the cause, you benefit from it as well... and it's a beautiful, beautiful thing
I've actually begun noticing some of those things in myself, though I'm a vegetarian. I'd like to go vegan, but there's no way I can right now (I'm going to school out of the country next year, and won't be cooking for myself). How long were you a vegetarian for before you went vegan?
hmmmmmm...the benifits.... well, sub-consiously..tons!! i feel better in my head, with no weird contradictions. i was vegetarian for 10 years first, but i still did lose some weight (about 5 more pounds) after going vegan 3 years ago. i am 5'5, and weigh 115. feel GReat!! my skin has a glow to it now, which i didnt have before. i think it also has to do with the fact that i drink alot of green drinks, and live foods. i feel very good that i can honestly walk into a store, and not have to cruise the asiles, because they are mostly filled with trans-fats, and sugar crap anyways. i feel that i have more energy because it doesnt take as long to digest my live, foods. i NEVER have to worry or watch what i eat. everything within my boundries are guilt free foods. now, if i am craving chocolate, i eat some amazing organic dark chocolate, and eat it with NO guilt or remorse. i feel that i am capable of surviving better that my friend who are unknowingly addicted to sugar, preservatives, and who knows what else. i can go without food, because i am in great health. though, i never feel i should or have to go without. so thanks for sharing Apples and Oranjes, i am soo glad that you are a living example as well, for a great choice in lifestyle!
oh ...and one more thing... my hubby is also Vegan, and one BIG bonus for me, is that he ~tastes~ Wayyyy better, if you know what i mean
Well, I first went veggie when I was 8 but that didnt last too long, maybe a year, considering I was young and my parents pretty much controlled what I ate. they got sick of making special things for me lol Then I went veggie again when I was 14 and was veggie for three and a half years before I went vegan...wow I was vegan longer than I thought I was... It's been a year already, I thought it was only a few months
wow you're at the perfect weight for your height, you must look GREAT! [other than just feeling great!] I'm 5'7 and weigh around 125-130 lbs. I also have huge boobs for my body frame and weight LOL I have to be honest and admit that I'm pretty happy about that... I know what you mean, it's like now days I dont even HAVE to watch what I eat ...I just eat anything I want that's vegan, and it's no problem at all...I'm STILL losing some weight and I eat like a horse. I like to make my own popcorn and instead of using butter, I pop it in a pot with vegetable oil and it tastes great, is low infat, and a lot healthier than the microwave shit...Im addicted to popcorn. I looove how everyone believes these fads of no-carb diets and such, and I eat all the carbs and [organic]sugar I want and I am losing weight... I really believe its not any of that shit that most people think it is, its just plain animal products that increase weight gain, and prevent weight loss... Ever since I've eliminated products from animals I've lost weight and I DONT think it's just coincidence. The Atkins diet makes me laugh the most. People cut down their carb intake and pig out on meat and cheese... some people do lose weight from it, but as SOON as they go off the diet all the weight comes back 10x as fast. I also knew two people who tried that diet, and ended up getting HORRIBLY sick from it, and couldn't function because they were always tired. They also claimed to have TERRIBLE breath while on that diet. I must say, I love being vegan... I don't even have to worry about my health or weight anymore. I'm healthier than I have EVER been and I feel absolutely great. By the way thats great what you said about your hubby!! Too bad my boyfriend isn't vegan...lol. *gags*
What you said about the eyes...thats the most striking change in me. They glow...and theyve gone bright blue from being sunken-in and grey and dull. Weird. Xx
Same here. Before I went vegan, I hated every photo taken of me because my eyes always looked dead. They always appeared tired, and dark... Since I went vegan, I've noticed that my eyes look MUCH more lively, and they even seem to twinkle a bit
Cool thread. I agree with everything already posted (er... except for the sidhesister thing about her hubby tasting better... I'll just take yer word for it!). But, to me, more important than my physical health is my overall discipline & emotional control. I used to have a sorta violent side. I still have it, but now it does what I tell it, not the other way around. P.S. But hey, ya also gotta luv having great abs without having to do any situps!!
I agree...with everything said here. I too, find myself easier to *control* I seem to stop and think about things, before I act out on them... I used to do really retarded things when I was angry that I always ended up regretting... Now it's not so. Do you think that DOES coincide with the vegan diet? I never thought of it that way, I thought I just grew up lol
I've been vegetarian for about a year or two.. can't really remember, but I don't remember what I felt like before. I know after going raw-food I feel an amazing change, I can think a lot clearer and I just seem to.. feel clearer, whenever I do eat cooked food I get really sick, so I guess that's just a sign I'm doing the right thing, and my body tells me what to eat and when to eat.
I noticed that, too, about raw food. Also, watch out for salt, coz salt and cooked foods incite cravings, and that's when people start to lose control. This afternoon, I thought I was hungry for some fried rice, but instead of making fried rice, I forced myself to make a bowl of raw oats, apple & raisins. I took two bites and said to myself: "You idiot. You're not hungry at all. You just wasted a perfectly good apple!" Hunger gone. Well I definitely haven't grown up, so it must be the diet! I guess it's possible that there's another factor giving me my superpowers , but it's odd that all these great things (emotional control, lucidity, perspicacity ...and a nifty vocabulary) came within 2 years of my radical dietary change. I'm still working on the x-ray vision, tho.
x-ray vision, lol. I suppose it could be an effect of the dietary change... I just never thought of it that way
When I first went Vegan, I lost over 40 pounds. Then I quit smoking, and I've gained 20 back. I'm slowly losing it again by eating sensibly, but I'm not too worried because I still feel 1000% times better than when I was a meat eater. It turns out that I was allergic to dairy, and my arthritus, severe menstrual cramps & chronically runny nose were all due to the dairy I was eating. Most of all, I love the sense of well-being I feel now, and I love that I can look at the birds and animals without guilt and pain because I am no longer doing so very much to harm them. I swear, I have more wild life in my yard now than all my neighbors combined. That's proably because the property is heavily landscaped, but hubby and I joke that it's because the animals all know that this is a Vegan home.
