Michelle's Story

I remember the month I became a vegan because of the vivid memory of standing in line for "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and wondering what on earth I'd be able to eat inside the theatre.  That was 2002.   Earlier in the year I'd had my cholesterol tested and it was 204.   While researching ways to lower it, I found out how bad animal foods were for your health.   In the process I learned how they were also very, very bad for the planet, and a lifetime of unimaginable torture for the animals.   I went veg slowly - at first, I ate organic dairy and meat.   I thought if I just ate happy animals it would be okay.   But I couldn't justify the slaughterhouse to myself or my son, and the more I learned, the more I felt sickened by being any part of the farm animal industry.   It seemed to me the most base, cruel, arrogant selfishness to consider that my passing appetites were more important than a creature's life, its simple freedoms, its children, its fresh air and sunshine and full stretch of its wings.

I read voraciously, including "Slaughterhouse" and "The Food Revolution."    I told people what I learned, because who wouldn't want to know this stuff???  Nobody, pretty much.   No one wants to know or think about it.  They'd rather not know than possibly change a thing about themselves.   It's hard for me to fully respect people who say that.  I just don't get it.

By the end of 2002 I was fully vegan, and my cholesterol dropped to 146.   I ate good vegan food and vegan junk food.   I ate both.   My weight went down and it went up.  Sometime around 2006 I started eating a little bit of cheese again.   In 2007, Lora and I were together and loved walking to midtown eateries for Sunday morning breakfast.   After a few months I was sick of pancakes, and ate eggs.  So for the past three years I've been vegetarian, not vegan.   I've loved the cheese but I've struggled with my conscience.   When Lora went vegetarian in June I was tickled pink, red, all the shades of the rainbow.   When we decided to go vegan this month my spirit felt so good, but I secretly felt worried about missing cheese.  Maybe not so secretly.

So now we are on Weight Watchers and the first week went great. I lost 6 pounds.   I'm determined to do better as a vegan this time.   For one, I'm going to be kinder to myself.  I'm not going to eat animal foods, and I will check ingredients, as I've done since 2002, but I'm not going to make myself nuts about it. If I'm at a restaurant I'll do the best I can.  I'm going to make good choices, but if the veggie burger has a bit of egg, I'm going to recognize that I'm not eating a whole egg or a chicken, and am on the path.   Thinking it's all one way or the other is too hard.  Second, I'm not going to be a junk food vegan.   I love to cook.  It's my favorite thing.  This gives me a good focus which is exciting.   Now that Lora and I are supporting each other I'm really excited for us to eat pure whole plant foods prepared a million and one ways. And the Boy is a good sport for the most part.

Once there's a bit less of me, I want to climb Kilimanjaro.  I want to go to Greece and round the Mediterranean.  I want to start doing yoga again.  I want to keep up with the Boy and the pesky dogs.  I want to bend in the middle a bit more easily.  I want to hike the John Muir Trail.  I want to go backpacking.  I want have energy, lots of it.  I want to see the world with Lora.   I want to look good and be glossy glowing with health. I know we'll make it this time.