happy 2009 to all!


Why I went Vegan…

It all started right after Thanksgiving of ‘07. I saw this girl reading a book called Skinny Bitch on the metro. The title ALONE raised my eyebrow. So on my next trip to a bookstore; I sought out this book to see what it was about. Color me surprised when I found out it was a nutrition book. At this point of my life I was a little overweight, unhappy and self-confidence slowly going down the toilet so it was perfect. It was a book about going vegan. At this point in my life I was already semi vegetarian. I hardly ever ate chicken, beef, turkey I ate sometimes fish but I NEVER ate pork or pig products. I did a book report when I was in 6th grade about food poisoning for my Home Ec class. It was on trichinosis and from hence forth I never touched a pig product of any kind. However there were just some days when I just didn’t want to eat any of it. My boyfriend constantly bugged me that I wasn’t eating enough protein so reluctantly I would eat some meat. I just wish there was some magic word or phrase I could say to people instead of giving them a long explanation on why I just didn’t want to eat the meat. Plus, if I didn’t have an explanation on tap, people at parties will just think I am just a “picky” bitch.

Skinny Bitch showed me the way. There was a phrase I could say without having an explanation needing to follow why I just don’t want the meat. “I’m vegan.” Done and done. I claimed being vegan right before Christmas. Giving up meat was not problem, especially after reading Chapter 7 and Chapter 9. Giving up dairy was the hardest, since I just LOVE me some cheese. Slowly but surely I took one day at a time. Then, finally one day, I saw a Pizza Hut commercial that normally would’ve made me drool with all that drippy, gooey cheese, instead it made me gag. So hence forth I have a complete and totally aversion to all dairy products. I don’t do butter, milk, cheese, eggs (yes, strangely eggs are a “dairy” product), cream cheese, sour cream, cream anything. Plus, after reading Chapter 5 in Skinny Bitch, I was more gung-ho about giving up dairy.

So after nearly a year of being vegan and also losing 25 pounds, I still have my copy of Skinny Bitch and believe you me, it IS my Vegan Bible. I have leaps and bounds of energy. I used to be plagued by sinus issues and allergies but no more.

Going Vegan was the best decision I’ve ever made and I encourage anyone and everyone to just try it. I challenged one of my friends a few weeks ago to just stop eating dairy. Everyday he emails me and says he has so much energy and his pants are starting to get loose. Next he’s cutting out the meat. Come join with my friend on his journey of veganism. You’ll be glad that you did. Especially when your pants start falling off you.

| Written by: Denise Shrader | November 6, 2008 | Filed Under Rambling 

7 Responses to “Why I went Vegan…”

  1. MackenzieNo Gravatar on November 6th, 2008

    Having a way to explain all the things I don’t like to eat is why I’m vegetarian. “Well, I don’t like beef, or pork, or most chicken, though if you can prepare it so that it stops tasting like chicken and starts tasting like a vegetable…” Yeah, eventually my mom started making tofu at dinner and I got my chance to be vegetarian. This Thanksgiving she’s going to need to learn to make a vegan dinner though. I’m not quite vegan yet, but the heavy cream in the mashed potatoes has to go.

    My boyfriend says we’re like “natural vegans.” I don’t like meat, and he can’t eat it. Neither of us can have dairy. So our bodies are forcing us that way.

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  2. meganNo Gravatar on November 7th, 2008

    hey denise–

    skinny bitch is coming out with a journal. i can’t wait for it! i think it will be just as inspiring, bitchy, and helpful as their first book.

    i’m sure you’ve acquired skinny bitch in the kitch?

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  3. EricaNo Gravatar on November 7th, 2008

    you can pre-order the journal here:
    http://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Bitchin-Journal-Change-Achieve/dp/0762435372/ref=pd_cp_b_1

    And they also soon releasing a book for men: Skinny Bastard:
    http://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Bastard-Rory-Freedman/dp/0762435402

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  4. Megan MeinbergNo Gravatar on November 7th, 2008

    Sweet. Thanks Erica.

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  5. DeniseNo Gravatar on November 8th, 2008

    I’m going to acquire bitch in the kitch AND bun in the oven.

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  6. meganNo Gravatar on November 8th, 2008

    i don’t know if that was out when i was pregnant but i wish i had seen it if it was! looks great.

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  7. EricaNo Gravatar on November 12th, 2008

    VegNews is giving away a Skinny Bitch signed collection! today only (Nov. 12)
    http://vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=147&catId=8

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