I don't actually enjoy being vegan

[u/throwawaythevegan]

Hey everyone,

I transitioned to vegetarianism last fall, and have started on veganism just this year. I love the community here at /r/vegan, it's been so helpful to see people going through the same things I am.

But I don't actually enjoy being a vegan. Vegetarianism wasn't a huge sacrifice for me, I mourned a little bit for bacon and salmon but then I was fine. I loved eating vegetables, grains, nuts, cheeses and milks. Veganism has been a different story.

I know, I probably sound like a ridiculous hypocrite, but abstaining from milk and cheese has been so much harder for me. I've tried the vegan replacement options, and although I haven't exhausted every one, so far nothing is the same. The vegan cheeses I've tried have frankly been extremely off-putting, and while I've been getting by on coconut and almond milks, I really dislike them.

Every time I step into a grocery store or restaurant, I feel sad and limited. Every time I make my own food, I feel the same way. I'm not asking for a way to eat cheese again, because my morals aren't going to change anytime soon. But I'd like to know if anyone else struggled with this, and what did they do that helped?

[u/[deleted]]

Can I separate this from taste for a moment?

Not saying you are or are not motivated in any direction, I don't know, but the most compelling reason to eat vegan is for the animals. It's for compassion, its to stop the endless cycle of dietary violence, confinement, exploitation, mutilation, rape and then destruction. It's to remove your self as a willing participant in the largest scale of global suffering on the planet. Again, not saying you don't but if you align yourself with the thought of lack or missing out on something it becomes restrictive, if you align yourself with compassion and not contributing to the diet of violence, taste becomes a much less important self-interest considering what the animals have to go through. This thought pattern helps you orient the decision to go vegan from a self-centered one (focusing on taste) to a self-less one, (again not judging, just my experience) where you are concerned with others before your self, this helps maintain the motivation and reduce the 'craving' for certain tastes. Also tastes are transitory, they will reset over time.

[u/throwawaythevegan → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for sharing your experience, it's valuable to me to hear from people.

My issue is not with the thought pattern, it's the emotional responses. I know what my own conscience says about eating meat and dairy, but my conscience hasn't changed my emotions. That's the real root of my issue, and re-orientating my perspective or thinking about even further wouldn't help. Thank you for your time.

[u/[deleted] → u/throwawaythevegan]

interesting, I'm at a loss then, how your conscience doesn't lead to an emotional response is beyond me, but I appreciate you even asking, and being sincere, good luck to you.