Veg*n Couple questions...

[TinyPiggy]

Hi
So, after browsing through several websites including this forum, I have decided to adopt a vegan diet. So me being me, I am currently doing lots of research on how to do it. And I have found a lot of conflicting statements. Different websites say different things, which just confuses me. So I thought maybe I'd get advice from people I've already pretty much trusted my boys' life to.

1: How do I get enough B12? I've read a lot of stuff, like you need supplements, you don't need supplements, etc.
2: Do I need to rely on supplements to get the proper vitamins? I've read from some that you NEED supplements, but other people say, nah, just get them from (enter food).
3: Is tofu healthy? Are soy products okay?

Thank you all in advance.

 

[4boipigs]

I can answer this for you. I've been vegan since 2014.

Back then, things were hard. You have no idea how much easier it is to be vegan today. We have made SO much progress. Options at stores, restaurants, etc are becoming more common and make it super easy to be vegan.

B12. I haven't really had to take supplements for it. I did when I started, but idk if I really needed it. It WILL turn your urine bright green because most B12 supplements have an overload of it. You can also try nutritional yeast, aka nooch. It sounds weird at first, but the flavor is amazing. It is usually fortified w/ B12, and goes great on so many foods. I haven't taken a B12 supplement in years.

As for other vitamins, no I don't take a multivitamin, but YMMV. You may wish to consult a doctor or get bloodwork to decide on this. I haven't done any bloodwork since becoming vegan (healthcare costs...)

Tofu and soy is perfectly fine. You will find vegans who are super against artificial stuff, against soy, gluten, etc. Other vegans are junk food vegans. It really doesn't matter. Eat whatever you want. When I became vegan I was big on eating healthy, no processed food, etc. Nowadays, with all the great new food options, I eat a lot of junk.

What I DID have an issue with when I became vegan was calories. I had NO idea what to eat, so I was getting hungry every few hours. A lot of the stuff vegans know and love now, wasn't so easy to get back then. Transitioning from calorie heavy, easy to find, fatty/junk food to more healthy vegan food can be tough, so I would learn about tracking calories and making sure you're eating enough.

I ended up losing a lot of weight, without knowing it. I went from 155 to 125lb. I also have horrible knee issues. I was 23 or so when I became vegan. Standing, bending, getting up, and so on was SO HARD on my knees. Once I became vegan, my knee problems practically disappeared. Knee pain tends to only flare up when my period hits. I also saw a drastic decrease in acne, which I always had trouble with. I became vegan for the animals, but the physical benefits are great too.

 

[TinyPiggy]

I can answer this for you. I've been vegan since 2014.

Back then, things were hard. You have no idea how much easier it is to be vegan today. We have made SO much progress. Options at stores, restaurants, etc are becoming more common and make it super easy to be vegan.

B12. I haven't really had to take supplements for it. I did when I started, but idk if I really needed it. It WILL turn your urine bright green because most B12 supplements have an overload of it. You can also try nutritional yeast, aka nooch. It sounds weird at first, but the flavor is amazing. It is usually fortified w/ B12, and goes great on so many foods. I haven't taken a B12 supplement in years.

As for other vitamins, no I don't take a multivitamin, but YMMV. You may wish to consult a doctor or get bloodwork to decide on this. I haven't done any bloodwork since becoming vegan (healthcare costs...)

Tofu and soy is perfectly fine. You will find vegans who are super against artificial stuff, against soy, gluten, etc. Other vegans are junk food vegans. It really doesn't matter. Eat whatever you want. When I became vegan I was big on eating healthy, no processed food, etc. Nowadays, with all the great new food options, I eat a lot of junk.

What I DID have an issue with when I became vegan was calories. I had NO idea what to eat, so I was getting hungry every few hours. A lot of the stuff vegans know and love now, wasn't so easy to get back then. Transitioning from calorie heavy, easy to find, fatty/junk food to more healthy vegan food can be tough, so I would learn about tracking calories and making sure you're eating enough.

I ended up losing a lot of weight, without knowing it. I went from 155 to 125lb. I also have horrible knee issues. I was 23 or so when I became vegan. Standing, bending, getting up, and so on was SO HARD on my knees. Once I became vegan, my knee problems practically disappeared. Knee pain tends to only flare up when my period hits. I also saw a drastic decrease in acne, which I always had trouble with. I became vegan for the animals, but the physical benefits are great too.

Hi
Thank you for the reply! So glad about the whole tofu thing because I LOVE tofu. And also-should i just go cold turkey or slowly esse into it?

 

[4boipigs]

Whatever is comfortable for you to do. Some vegans will pressure you into doing it overnight and not do "baby steps" as we like to call it (cut out animal products one by one, basically). I pretty much did it overnight, because I am a spontaneous person. Just do whatever is going to fit best. It won't hurt you to go slow or just go for it 100% today.

 

[TinyPiggy]

Whatever is comfortable for you to do. Some vegans will pressure you into doing it overnight and not do "baby steps" as we like to call it (cut out animal products one by one, basically). I pretty much did it overnight, because I am a spontaneous person. Just do whatever is going to fit best. It won't hurt you to go slow or just go for it

Great! Thanks for all the grest advice!