First post!!
Although I have a couple other LJ accounts, this one has been created to document my transition from a vegetarian lifestyle into a vegan one. I am very excited for this new quest in my life.
For the past 13 or 14 years, I have lived a very loose vegetarian lifestyle, eating dairy products and soups with a chicken broth base on a fairly regular basis, and extremely sporadically eating chicken [once or twice a year]. But, as I grow as a person and figure myself out, I have come to understand and be attracted to the idea of veganism. It makes sense, and as I have been a vegetarian for years, the transition will not be the most difficult endeavour I will face in my life.
In the past few weeks, I have started to replace dairy milk with soy milk. I have gone for dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate when I crave something sweet. I still crave cheese, but haven't eaten any in about a week.
Working for a cosmetics company, I quickly became aware of cruelty-free, organic, naturally based, preservative free, vegetarian, and vegan cosmetics and skincare brands. Lucky enough to sample a pleathora of products, I was able to find products from said veg*n friendly lines that work for me. I choose not to wear animal skin/fur/byproducts, and the leather shoes I do have had have been in my possesion for years. I rarely wear them anymore.
Once I lose a little bit of weight, find a steady job [or two], I am going to completely veganify every aspect of my life, which shouldn't be very hard. Completely vegan makeup and skincare [and the process of giving away all of my product that may have animal byproduct ingredients]. Closet consiting of vegan clothes [the majority, if not all of my clothes are made out of cotton].
The toughest hurdle I have to tackle is breaking the news to my Irish family, who love to eat [and definately not a veg*n friendly diet]. My mother has a tendency to buy food with me in mind, which can often be honey, cheese, and chicken or beef broth based soups. She also, on the rare occurance will buy me clothing. One of the last things she bought me was a pair of leather shoes. [I am grateful that she is generous.] I've been making hints at it for a few weeks now, and everytime my parents decide to cook chicken, they ask if I am having any, no matter how many times I've told them I don't like it.
Any support and advice will be gladly accepted, as I am happy to return the favour.