Why I FAILED the First Time That I Went Vegan + 4 Tips for SUCCESS

So many people are able to go vegan overnight and to have it be a lifelong change (I applaud them!). But for many others, it is a slower process. One that takes many steps and there may be some mistakes along the way.

For me, it didn’t happen overnight and the first time(s) that I tried to go vegan was an absolute HOT MESS!

I truly always knew that I loved animals but didn’t quite make the connection between that love and the animals that were on our plates. It wasn’t until my dog (and best friend), Jake, died that I made the connection. For the last week of Jake’s life, I watched him suffer, take his last breath and I swore that I would never contribute to an animal suffering (as much as possible) for as long as I lived. At that point, I went vegan for good. However, this was not my first attempt at making the transition……

The first time that I tried to go vegan was after reading Skinny Bitch in college. I dove straight in, threw away all of my food and ate nothing but every recipe that I made from that book. My body freaked out, I became incredibly sick (apparently eating that many beans and butternut squash Mac and cheese was something I should have started slowly with) and that was it for the first attempt at my vegan life.

The second time that I tried to go vegan went much better than the first. I had made the clear decision that I didn’t want to eat animals and jumped back in. I didn’t know what I was doing but I knew that vegans ate tofu. So that’s what I did. I ate tofu, and tofu and some more tofu! I would eat it for breakfast, saute it for a snack, have a soy burger for lunch and then some more tofu for dinner. At this point I was only eating about 500 calories and working incredibly long days as a personal trainer for our local gym. And boy, did I feel awful (no energy, digestive distress and constant UTI’s)! I called my best friend at the time and she explained that I “needed more protein.” I would give in and eat some chicken. Immediately, my body would feel better but I was struck with so much guilt.

Here’s why I think that I failed during my first few attempts at eating a vegan diet and the steps that I would recommend to all pre-vegans:

MOTIVATION: This was one thing that I did have going for me. I knew why I wanted to make this change.
Before you begin your vegan journey, this step is paramount. There will be times when you feel like giving in. However, if you are clear on your motivation, it’ll be easier to stick with it. Post your reason for going vegan everywhere: on your phone, your computer, your refrigerator. Once I had a clear reason, there was no turning back.
RESEARCH: The next step (that I was clearly missing) is to do some research. Watch documentaries, read books, find recipes that that you want to try, learn about supplements and protein, learn how to read labels, learn the basics of cooking vegan food, etc. If I had taken this step, I would have known that vegans eat many other things in addition to tofu. I would have also known that I felt better after eating chicken because of the fat and the calories, not because I needed more protein.
EXPERIMENT: Another step is to experiment. Try new recipes. Try some meat and dairy alternatives. Try vegan meals and vegan restaurants when going out. Find the things that you like and dislike. And try to have fun while doing so.
GET SUPPORT/HIRE A COACH: I cannot imagine how my first or second attempts at going vegan would have been different if I had a friend joining me or a Facebook community supporting me. Or what if I had a coach who could have taken me to the grocery store, taught me about supplements and showed me how to cook?! If you are just getting started on your journey, please make sure to get support.

Making a big change can be so scary and overwhelming. Please be so proud of yourself for just making the decision and know that you are going to better this planet. I hope that these four steps will help you along the way and that my journey can put you at ease.

<3, April

For even more support, please be sure to check out my Vegan 101 Guide or set up a Coaching Session.