WB Gina! I missed you
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I'm vegan. I was vegetarian for years (like.... 8?) before I went vegan, permanently. I'd done vegan off and on, but never stuck to it. I went vegan, with one of my best friends going vegetarian, as a new year's resolution, this year. Neither of us has waivered, and we both feel better for it.
I can't remember (how SAD is that?) what originally caused me to go over "to the dark side" and become a vegetarian. Probably, I didn't want to eat animals. I feel and look much better. When I first went vegetarian, I lost just over 50 lbs, by eating my vegetables! Since going vegan, my joints have stopped hurting for the most part, and my skin is much better than it has been in the past. My sinuses are very, very happy with the decision (dairy is an inflamatory food).
It is *not* hard for me to be vegan. I eat out. I eat food from the regular grocery store. I will never be a "true" vegan, though. My dogs will *always* eat meat, if their health permits. It isn't a part of my belief system to force my own issues on another being. I have a deep respect for life, and I promised to take the best possible care of them. For us, that means I make thier meals up, fresh, of meat, veggies, and supplements.