I’m writing this for everyone who is not yet vegan but finds themselves being curious when the topic comes up.
I would hope that by now the majority of people in the West have heard of the vegan lifestyle and what we do. It’s one of the largest and fastest-growing movements in the past few years.
Knowing what happens on dairy farms, in slaughterhouses and all other facilities where our fellow animals are being kept for exploitation and abuse, I cannot be quiet. Not anymore.
So in order to inspire others to join me in living this compassionate lifestyle that strives to lessen the exploitation of other beings, I have to help you see that your excuses are just not good enough.
Everything is figureoutable, right?
That’s why I will look at 3 most common reasons why people don’t go vegan. Well, that’s my view on the issue and not an actual statistic, but you know that.
Then I will give you a few tips on how to overcome the obstacle so you can finally start eating plants and saving your fellow animals.
If you are interested in changing your habits but somehow afraid of what might happen if you do, hopefully, I can help you jump through and come out on the other side prepared and ready to upgrade your lifestyle.
Without further ado, here are 3 most common reasons why people don’t go vegan, and what to do about it:
- They’re afraid of getting sick from not eating animal products.
When you’ve been told for decades that consuming animal products is healthy and necessary, you will have a hard time looking at studies that disprove these claims.
You hear these horror stories of people getting hospitalized and babies dying because they were not fed enough. It’s natural that you will get scared of going plant-based and ending up like YouTubers who promote the idea that it’s veganism, not their eating disorder, that caused them to get sick.
- They fear getting bullied or losing family and friends.
Many vegans can share stories with you of losing friends and family members who didn’t want to be around them after they went vegan.
Sometimes our new habits and diets make people uncomfortable because it turns a mirror on them. That’s okay, but it doesn’t mean it won’t hurt us if it happens.
It is very rare that an individual likes standing out from the group and having fingers pointed at them.
- They fear the changes.
Why is starting a workout routine or changing jobs so hard? Because we have to give up who we are to become who we want to be.
Just because we want something doesn’t make it easy to go after it. We have to leave our comfort zone and risk walking the path alone for a while. It’s uncomfortable, it makes our hearts beat faster with anxiety because we’ve never done it before.
Now that we looked at what people are afraid of when faced with the decision of going vegan, let’s look at the solutions.
3 ways you can go plant-based without too much stress and fear:
- Learn about nutrition and keep updated on new research.
If you are not sure how to approach something new, you learn about it, no?
That approach works the same when it comes to nutrition. You have to study it at the beginning to know how and what to eat.
After you have the basics down, continue reading a book a month or simply follow doctors on social media to stay updated.
My suggestions? Subscribe to the Nutrition Facts podcast, follow Dr Michael Greger on Instagram and read nutrition books (you can find a few of my favorites here).
- Set boundaries with people close to you.
If you want to keep your relationships intact, you will have to put your foot down and demand respect.
If that sounds harsh it’s because sometimes you have to be.
Many of us had to deal with nasty comments from our loved ones because they couldn’t understand why the sudden changes – why we are going against what is seen as normal.
I wrote more about how to handle relationships when transitioning to veganism in this post here.
- Take one step at a time.
To avoid overwhelm and stress, start transitioning at a pace that works for you.
Sure, you can do it overnight – many have – if it feels good, but a lot of people need to take it slowly to settle in. It makes the whole journey more enjoyable if you don’t shock yourself by jumping straight in.
Again, you can do it overnight if you are ready, this is just a reminder that you are allowed to take some time for a healthy transition.
Can you smell that? It’s the smell of more and more people going vegan in the next 12 months, and you could be one of them.
I have a free printable that will give you 7 short tips on how to go vegan and avoid overwhelm that sometimes comes with it. You can download it here.
Knowing that something is morally and ethically wrong and that it doesn’t make you feel good is a sign that you are ready to start changing. It’s good you are feeling that.
This is your foundation – caring about the issue. It’s what will keep you moving forward and push you when you feel like giving up.
To get more tips on how to create a sustainable vegan lifestyle please make sure you are following me on Pinterest and Instagram.
Tanja
