I am finding it so difficult. I thought being home would be easier to be vegan but every time but I walk past the fridge I seem to just grab a bit of cheese to nibble on or a bit of chocolate. I have no self restraint and its so annoying. It doesn’t help that we have a whole section of our fridge dedicated to loads of different types of cheese… I guess I just have to start by reducing things from my life one by one. I never drink milk so that’s easy, I think my first step will be eggs.
It really annoys me because I found giving up meat so easy, I literally stopped one day and have never looked back since, so why am I finding this so hard?!
Does anyone have any tips plz plz plz
Happiness is just a few bites away 
Cheese is highly addictive and I think that is why it’s hard to give it up. This journey is about progress not perfection. You will do it with time!
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It certainly is addictive, I can’t seem to say no… I’m sure I will! Thank you x
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I recommend watching more videos on how the animals are treated. Dairy is a cruel industry and when you see lots of videos you just never want to eat those products again.
That’s what it was like for me except I actually worked in the dairy/meat industry and saw it first hand.
Go to a slaughterhouse and watch them kill a male calf right in front of you, all for the sake of dairy.
Watch them hang a hen, that’s not even 2 years old, by the feet in shackles while their electrocuted and then watch an automatic blade slit their throat, some still fully conscious. All for the sake of eggs.
You either want to support animal abuse or you don’t.
Eggs are horrible too and the way the hens are treated in disgusting. Male chicks being ground up alive because they don’t produce eggs – it’s messed up!
I apologise if I sound blunt or too forward 😦 I just don’t have a pretty bow to put on my words about animal abuse. I’m sorry.
I just want to help you.
Stay strong girl! You can do this. You’re stronger than you think.
Watch the video Mercy For Animals on YouTube. Check out Bite Size Vegan on YouTube and watch her videos about eggs and dairy.
Much love ❤
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I have watched a few documentaries and after them I stick at vegan for a few days then I just lapse, I guess I just need to keep thinking of the videos when I go to eat dairy or eggs. Thank you so much for the advice I will check out those videos x
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Hey girl! Just read your post. I totally agree with it being a journey with progress and not perfection! Have you watched a couple documentaries? Cowspiricy is a great one! Along with 101 reasons to be vegan presentation on YouTube! Also, I like to follow vegans on YouTube/Instagram. That really helps me! I live with my boyfriend who is a meat eater and I have been vegan for almost four months now. It helps me to associate what that cheese is in your case. The cheese is a product of a pregnant cow, who was artificially inseminated in the first place, who got her newborn baby calf taken away from her right at birth. They use the cow to milk her dry with machines, which results in blood, pus, and antibiotics coming through in the milk/cheese/dairy products. Do more research and see things that make you uncomfortable. It makes it easier to say no and you’ll be able to cut it out completely. Hope this helps! I do update posts on my blog with struggles and successes, along with recipes and products. Let me know how it goes! Healthyhandmade.wordpress.com
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I’ve watched earthlings (which is what made me veggie) and cowspiracy, so I think if I watch a few more itll really help me to make the transition to vegan! Doing research and knowing more definitely will help me, thank you xx
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Hi Thalia
It is never easy in a family situation if your diets are different. Cheese is really tricky, that was my last barrier too, I gave it up and then started again – it’s my favourite food. When I began juicing, it reset my taste buds and without realising it I stopped eating cheese. It is tough when my husband makes pizza, it’s the smell of melted cheese that sometimes gets to me, but I have no desire to eat it as I know the consequences not just for the animals but for my health too – it is really bad when you have sinus/respiratory/eczema issues. Many people swear by Vegusto vegan ‘cheese’, so if you really want to be vegan why not try using substitutes for a while? Chocolate I think is easier because there are so many really good brands of raw chocolate which is actually good for you and once you start eating that, you won’t want the sickly, sweet milk chocolate of commercial brands. I highly recommend The Raw Chocolate Company’s Vanoffe – it’s their best seller – and they have a slightly darker version too, Vanoffe Dark, as well as several other flavours. Raw chocolate is far more ethical than commercial chocolate too. You’ll get there, but I think you’ll succeed better if you think to yourself: I can have it but I choose not to rather than feeling deprived of something you love. Changing the design of your meals helps too, so that you’re creating meals that don’t require cheese or eggs. It’s not easy, but it’s a process and it takes time. Well done on getting this far so quickly – it has taken me a lifetime! 👏🏻😄
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I think cheese is everyone’s weakness! I have never tried it but I will certainly look out for it in the supermarket’s now. I have got some nooch to get the cheesey flavour in things it’s just not the same! Yeah chocolate definitely is easier I dont think I’ll find that one too hard to give up. Thank you so much for these lovely words of advice !!
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I know what you mean, I decided going cold turkey was better than substituting but just occasionally when the family are here and they are tucking into their pizza it would be nice to have something similar on my plate – I can’t have tomatoes so it makes it a bit trickier. Ultimately though I know I am healthier for not indulging. You ate so healthily while you were away, it would be a shame to succumb to old habits now you’re home, you’ll soon notice you feel blah and then the colds etc. will take hold… ☺️
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Hi Thalia
Things we enjoy, comfort foods such as cheese and eggs, foods so a part of many recipes are usually very difficult to give up. I’ve been a vegan for 15 years, and a vegetarian most of my life. I never cared for eggs or milk, but cheese was difficult to say goodbye to. I missed my favorite food pizza for a long time. My advice is to take it one step at a time. It’ll take a while to get over the urge to grab for the cheese, but soon you’ll notice the urge is gone. Find other substitutes to fill that need. I’m crazy about nuts, which was my go to food for a long time. You will get there!
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it is very difficult, I know… I’ve been fully Vegan for 1 year and don’t miss the non-began life one bit.
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Yes, going vegetarian is relatively easy but going vegan is a CHALLENGE! I am in the same process and this is what is working for me. I quit cheese first because I knew I was addicted! I started using raw cashews to make everything creamier and LOVE cashew cream now. Also, nutritional yeast has a bit of the umami flavor of parmesan cheese so I use that, too. It has been 5 months since I have eaten cheese ( I am still eating plain yogurt, so not fully vegan yet) and it was torture for a few months but now I do not miss it. So don’t give up. Also, my cholesterol level dropped 30 points (and I have been a healthy vegetarian for over 40 years!). So that has kept me away from cheese and I think I am no longer addicted because I don’t crave it anymore. I hope this helps. Be gentle with yourself and try to find some flavors and textures that you like so you don’t feel deprived.
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I wouldn’t so hard on yourself and judge yourself which is all negative energy. Just try to eat consciously,so if you eat animal products be aware and conscious about it. You don’t need to put a label on yourself, just do what feels good physically- and mentally.
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Thanks for coming over to Tasha.Kitchen and liking my Dal recipe. It’s nice to meet you Thalia.
I really love your determination! My advice would be, be kind to yourself. Give up things you love but don’t want slowly as if it was an addiction. Especially food items like cheese which in tests mice actually chose after being hooked to cocaine- no joke, so it’s more difficult than you think. Don’t beat yourself up if you give up and relapse, concentrate on your intentions and the bigger picture and know that we are all here supporting you in spirit, good luck on your journey!
Also, have a look at my substitute receipes for chocolate moose and cream cheese which are vegan, as then when you need a fix you have something you like that is vegan to reach for in the fridge,
Lots of love, Tasha.Kitchen
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I went from full omnivore to vegan over the course of a week, so I had the luxury of giving up the hard part – cheese – first, while leaning on Some of my favorite meats, then giving up meat.
The advice I would give you is what Tasha and Natalie said: be kind to yourself.
You could also purchase a small microfridge just for the household’s cheese. That way, you wouldn’t just happen upon it and be tempted. If you really want some cheese, you can still get it, but the passive temptation would be gone.
Also, be sure to keep plenty of vegan convenience foods that you like (medjool dates and sunflower seeds are my favorites) So you will have an instant way to quench the munchies Bonus points if they don’t have to be store on the fridge with the cheese.
But most importantly, be gentle with yourself. Your bad days are far kinder to animals than the average westerner’s good days.
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Sorry for the typos…I am posting from my phone.
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The hardest thing to leave behind was cheese, I get how your struggling. I would advice exploring vegan cheeses, there are many vegan artisan cheese makers out there now and most can be ordered online. I prefer Cashew blends myself so far. Veg News magazine has had a few great articles on different makers if you need place to start. The stiff they sell in the grocery stores doesn’t hold up for me. Good luck on your journey
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I tried my first vegan cheese the other day and I actually enjoyed it! Obviously not the same as real cheese but it was tasty and no animals were harmed so I enjoyed it even more. Thank you
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I have tried a few, some good, some have a ways to go. There are new methods and flavors being discovered everyday. I have hope
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I agree with this – there are lots of great vegan alternatives to dairy products out there, and you can even make your own (I’ve got a good cookbook called the Vegan Bible by Marie Laforêt which shows you how) and they really help. I particularly love booja booja truffles for when you want some chocolate 🙂
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Thanks I’ll order the book
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I feel your pain, I have been vegetarian for 5 and half years and 95% vegan for 6 months. There are certain things that are much harder to give up than others. I find cheese pretty difficult to give up, I go through phases where I wont eat it for weeks and then I look in the fridge and think one cheese sandwich wont hurt and then the cheese addiction begins again..
Baby steps… don’t try and do too much at once.
Jae
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Hi!
I am/was exactly the same. First of all, don’t be so hard on yourself. Giving up meat is saving so many animals and benefiting your healthy more than you could ever imagine. I still nibble on cheese once in awhile (when I’m at a restaurant) and I dont fret over it. Some people transition overnight, others take decades… so what?! End goal is all the same. Definitely start by removing all animal products from your house- eggs, cheese, chocolate, butter, and even honey. Buy all the amazing replacements instead (stock up!) you will start to crave those vegan cheeses like crazy (all day I dream about my Miyokos)
Congratulations on every single one of your 374,929,472 attempts. You Rock!
p.s. I still window shop the cheese aisle at my grocery store every time and enjoy it so much, I just don’t have to waste my money buying it anymore.
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When you walk into the kitchen for a snack or make a meal, don’t focus on what you are giving up – focus on what great food you are adding. Make sure to have scrumptious vegan snacks around, and it will be easier to grab them instead of the cheese!
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Cheese was my hardest thing too. I am still not all the way to vegan, but if you haven’t tried it yet, try some vegan cheeses. I have tried two so far. One I was not super thrilled with, but I still think it would do the job to nix a craving. The other, I am just about in love with (Kite hill cream cheese style spread (chive))! Good luck!!!
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Do you have a reason to go vegan? In my experience people who try to go vegan without a reason tend to find it difficult. For example, food addiction, weight loss and animal rights are common reasons. If you don’t have a reason then there is no motivation to continue.
For me it was food addiction which began to negatively effect my wellbeing and the wellbeing of my family. It got to a point where meat and dairy just wasn’t an option for me anymore. I simply had to change.
My advice is to be honest with yourself about your reasons to go vegan and be at peace with it, don’t battle this in your own mind. Some people I speak to can feel guilty about their reasons. For example, your reason might be your own health and not animals and that’s fine. When you have found your reason, your motivation should start to increase and it becomes easier.
Also bear in mind that there are now vegan alternatives to most animal based foods. vegan cheese, vegan sausages, vegan curry sauce, diary free ice cream and so on. Start by switching out one thing at a time and progress from there.
Good luck
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