Last month, I embarked on a vegan journey. There was no secret behind it. I didn’t do it as part of a challenge. In fact, I honestly did it to see how my body would react. Over the past year I have dealt with weight gain, inflammation, psoriasis and a slew of other health related issues. One day while speaking with a good friend about my health issues, she asked ” Have you ever considered going vegan?” She went on to say It might help with some of my ailments.

I must admit, I had never entertained going vegan. The main reason was because your girl loves bacon, burgers, and steak in that order! However, I was fed up with not feeling well constantly. I figured what do I have to lose? So I did it! I went completely vegan and cold turkey! Specifically Keto Vegan. I bet you’re wondering what exactly is “Keto Vegan”. The vegan keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet that excludes all animal-based foods. It was very important to me that I remain low carb. I didn’t want to incorporate foods like bread, rice, and pasta because my body does not respond well to them.

So here I am a solid stretch of 30 days as a vegan. I could write and sing the praises about being vegan forever, but I thought I would rather share a few lessons I picked up along the way. I hope this will help those who might be interested in going vegan or might be struggling in their own journeys. So here are a few things I learned!

1. It Was Easier Than I Thought

Truth be told, it wasn’t that hard…Figuring out what I couldn’t eat was pretty easy. Anything made from or by an animal (and that included dairy, eggs, and even fish sauce) was off the menu. In doing my research on what I couldn’t eat, I found that theres quite a bit of animal products in a lot of the food I was eating! Who knew gelatin is made from animal collagen?!

Eating at home was the easiest. Salads were and still are a simple staple. I found myself cutting up veggies quite a bit which became exhausting, so I started prepping cut up veggies in 24oz mason jars on the weekend to make my life simpler. Doing this long with fresh berries and veggies like brussel sprouts, I was all set for lunches and dinners. I really got into my riced cauliflower dishes usually topped with cooked mushrooms, onions, and trio bell peppers

2. I Did More Cooking and Planning

I planned a-lot more. I found myself obsessed with planning and figuring out where my next meal was coming from. Especially at the beginning. Pinterest and Google were some of my best friends. As a matter of fact, I created a Vegan Keto Pinterest Board to keep track of all the recipes and knowledge I was consuming. I found myself better at reading food labels. I honestly thought I had mastered this by being keto for 3 years prior, but I feel educated now more than ever on reading labels. If you take this journey, you too will become a well-informed consumer.

3. Eating Out Can Be A Challenge

Eating out was a bit more challenging than I expected! My go to’s for eating out were Mediterranean inspired. Eating at Mediterranean restaurants allowed me the flexibility to be vegan and low carb without compromising taste and the experience. Restaurants like Cava Mezze , Sweetgreen, and Zatinya were a saving grace. Additionally, when I eat out i typically like to enjoy a cocktail or two. I had to be careful selecting certain wines because not all wines are vegan! Who knew? Thank goodness most liqueurs are vegan!

4. I Do Not Miss Meat As Much As I Thought I Would

To be honest, I don’t miss meat. I have had a few cravings for Chick Fila but thats about it. Besides, finding substitutes for animal products is tricky. I still haven’t found a meat substitute that I like. The brands I have tried are either disgusting, full of soy, or just down right the wrong texture! So I have opted to stay away until I can find the right one. The same for cheese substitutes. I must admit,I did miss dairy i.e. cheese in the beginning. Surprisingly, I’ve learned to live without it.

5. Being Vegan is Healthier But Only If You Make Healthy Choices

I did lose 10 pounds within the first 30 days of being vegan. A total bonus. However, I did bounce back and forth with gaining a few pounds here and there. Mainly because I discovered that Five Guys fries and some of Potbelly’s bread is vegan. TOTAL DISCLAIMER: It’s super easy to gain weight being vegan. This is largely because there’s so many high carb, high calorie options that are vegan. So this is one of the main reasons I opted for a Vegan Keto lifestyle instead.

Likewise, I gave up MSG, HFCS, additives, and preservatives. Not to mention, I gave up white, refined foods. I also gave up highly processed foods. With the exception of my trips to potbelly!

6. Not Everyone Understood My Choice

Most of my tribe understood and supported my choice. Some of them had questions. Some of them gave me the side eye and didnt think I would stick with it. I am proud to say I did! I found that being proud is key!

Its just that simple. These are the things I found out about other people on this journey:

• If you don’t show pride in being vegan, then no one will respect your choice.
• If you act like a weirdo people will treat you like one.
• If you apologize for being vegan, people will agree with you , and think that you have something to apologize for.
• If you make being vegan seem difficult or inconvenient, then that is what people will think it is.
• If you are afraid to admit to people that you are vegan, then you are sending the message that it’s something to be ashamed of.

My family and friends who aren’t vegan don’t know what it is like to be vegan. The only information they have is what I give them.

In conclusion, I have found It important to show people that being vegan is something to be proud of. Being Vegan can be easy and rewarding. Most importantly, I am dedicated to this lifestyle!