The dilemma

Well as the vegan challenge comes to an end there is this dilemma as to whether or not I want to make a life long commitment to this, or least for the foreseeable future.  The simple answer is, well no, but the process of coming to that conclusion is slightly more complicated. 

I have seen the movies, Food Inc, Forks over Knives, and I have read the books, The Kind Life, Skinny Bitch, Sugar Blues.  There are many reasons to live a vegan life.  There are health issues, that by removing meats and dairy from your diet you allow your body to perform in better ways.  There are environmental issues, the production of meat, especially red meat puts an incredible strain on the environment.  There are social issues, a world without the meat and dairy industry could provide more food to more people given the funds and lands currently dedicated to those industries.  There is the animal issue, that there are many animals dealt with cruelly, raised and killed for consumption. 

Knowing all of this can weigh heavily on one's mind but there are also reasons to eat a more omnivoric diet.  There are proteins and vitamins easily accessible through meat. There is the fact that it is tasty.  There is the fact that it is easy.  There is the fact that it is readily available, and in many ways can support local economies.


Part of my problem with labeling yourself a vegetarian, a vegan, a pescatarian or whatever is that you are is defining yourself but what you are not.  I won't eat beef, I don't eat cheese.  It has an inherently negative connotation.  One that people are all too happy to jump all over, like they just want to catch you in some sort lie to prove they are right in their own choices.  If a "regular" person does not eat broccoli because they don't like it, then how is it different than that fact that I won't eat a hamburger.  To be fair some vegans act superior to everyone around them and gladly berate people for their choices, all because they are a fifth level vegan who doesn't eat anything that casts a shadow.  I guess my main problem is with jerky people.

 So here is what it comes down to for me.  I will continue to omit beef, chicken, pork, turkey and such from my diet.  I will try to greatly limit the amount of dairy I consume.  I will however not panic about it.  I won't skim through all the ingredients and reject something based on the fact that skim milk powder is an ingredient.  If you bake me a muffin, I will eat it, even if you used eggs.  If its pizza night, I may or may not have cheese.   I will occasionally eat fish.  I will not judge those around me for their choices.  I chose to live positively, I believe for my part the planet might be a little greener, an animal may live a better life, and I won't feel the heaviness of something dying just so I can have a snack (and yes I have incredible guilt when I eat fish cause he could be swimming in the ocean and like Avatar I do offer up a little thanks I am just that nerdy)

So in the name of science I weighed myself today and I lost two pounds.  Sad because I felt it was more, and I thought my clothes were fitting a little better but perhaps that was all in my head.  Frustrating, reading all those books about how "oh being vegan I lost thirty pounds in three months"  "oh I have never felt better my diabetes is gone"  It doesn't surprise me that my weight is the same but I also believe there are more important things than weight, and that health and my conscience feel just fine.

One final annoying thing. Len who cheated many times lost 13 pounds.  My only conclusion is boys are stupid or he is a witch.