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AIBU?

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Original poster

Broken my veganism today

600 replies

Stepstepmother · 15/08/2018 21:12

And had to tell someone!

I’ve been a vegan for a few years - for environmental reasons and the argument that it’s much more possible to feed the world when we eat a plant based diet. It’s genuinely been a sacrifice as I love eating meat and fish and dairy - but I’ve done it. Lately I’ve been toying with the idea of giving myself a secret day off. Just one day, then back to it. That day was today. So I’ve eaten...

A buttery cheese croissant for breakfast
Rare steak with beef dripping chips and creamed spinach for lunch
A chicken thigh pita with halloumi cheese, caramelised onions, and garlic aoli for dinner.

It’s all been epic. And totally secret. I’m back on the straight and narrow vegan route again tomorrow and will look forward to my next cheat day in a few years time. But I just had to share.

(I know I’ve posted in AIBU - so, was I unreasonable?)

OP posts:
HotblackDesiatoto · 15/08/2018 23:30

Am just trying to understand your position. The vegan blogs I’ve read all seem to be less hasty to rescind vegan status, upon lapse, than you are

What would vegan blogs have to do with me? I'm not a vegan Confused

DialsMavis · 15/08/2018 23:32

Well done for 3.5 years of veganism!

Did it all taste the same today?

I'm 8 months in to being a not that strict vegan. I never knowingly am not vegan but I don't turn down wine or crisps at peoples houses.

I've been craving non vegan food lately but I think that's due to 10 days of eating really poorly on holiday.

Original poster
Stepstepmother · 15/08/2018 23:32

I actually agree @frogsoup. The world will not be affected if I eat local chicken killed by my neighbour at the end of it’s happy life.

I guess what I’m trying to do is live the ideal. And say ‘if everyone did this the world would be better’ Which is why I’ve chosen to go full vegan to avoid slipperpy slope deer and rabbit intensive farming. I’m trying to do the best I can, live the best I can, and give the best example. If I was stranded on a desert island yes, I would catch fish and kill animals to survive. I don’t believe that animals are our equals. I do believe that our intensive farming of them and our reliance as a society on meat and animals products is decimating our environment and using resources for animals that could be fed straight to people

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 15/08/2018 23:34

Which is why I’ve chosen to go full vegan to avoid slipperpy slope deer and rabbit intensive farming.

Full vegan except when you eat beef, cheese, goose fat and chicken.

lizzie1970a · 15/08/2018 23:35

Step - I think you can call yourself a vegan from tomorrow. Going by what some are saying no one can call themselves a vegan if they've ever eaten meat. Even if they've not touched it presumably for 50 years. I mean, at what point can you start calling yourself a vegan again? How long do you have to prove yourself. And who are they to say 10, 20 or 30 years meat-free is the only way you can legitimately call yourself vegan again. I think what you're doing is good.

Original poster
Stepstepmother · 15/08/2018 23:35

For one day @purpledaisys. If I even go another 3.5 years that’ll be 7 years with a one day slip

OP posts:
Perfectly1mperfect · 15/08/2018 23:36

You can eat what you want obviously. But I don't think you can expect to come on a forum and not get a bit of grief for your post. Why tell people if you don't want the controversy ?

I don't think vegans have cheat days. If you want to do this then you are a person who follows a mainly vegan diet but you are not vegan. I know a few people that do this but they don't class themselves as vegan.

MissMarplesKnitting · 15/08/2018 23:36

Ah, so you're rational.

You see, you won't fit in with the milk is rape, eggs are exploitation vegan crowd.

TBH I think maybe there needs to be a new group of environmental eaters. Those who do their best day in, day out but aren't in the exclusive club of vegan sanctimony

HotblackDesiatoto · 15/08/2018 23:37

Which is why I’ve chosen to go full vegan

But you haven't! You sound like a six year old insisting they are asleep when they are playing with toys in their room. you have not gone full vegan, you have eaten more meat products today than most rabid carnivores!

MervynBunter · 15/08/2018 23:37

Contrary to what some would like to believe, there is no special virtue in being a vegan. If the OP wants to adopt a vegan dies for 364 days of the year rather than the full 365, so what. Will the Vegan Inquisiation come after her?

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2018 23:37

We all have our off days, your only human, good on you. I could be vegetarian, but not vegan, that is totally difficult, as you are totally restricted.

HotblackDesiatoto · 15/08/2018 23:37

TBH I think maybe there needs to be a new group of environmental eaters. Those who do their best day in, day out but aren't in the exclusive club of vegan sanctimony

Grand, think of a name for them. It just can't be vegan.

MissMarplesKnitting · 15/08/2018 23:37

Noone expects the vegan inquisition!

PurpleDaisies · 15/08/2018 23:37

TBH I think maybe there needs to be a new group of environmental eaters. Those who do their best day in, day out but aren't in the exclusive club of vegan sanctimony

Yes, people who use the accurate label of “a mostly vegan diet”.

I have absolutely no issue with what the op is choosing to eat.

Botanicbaby · 15/08/2018 23:38

I’d love to say “yes OP you were vegan for 3.5 years, until you knowingly & deliberately ate (can’t believe I’m typing this) ...rare steak etc.” But no, I can’t. I think your idea of what being vegan is, is vastly different from mine.

I feel sorry for those that genuinely are vegan, particularly more so since this extremely-vocal-on-social-media so-called “vegan” bandwagon/fad started.

DialsMavis · 15/08/2018 23:38

I agree with your last post. I dont think there did anything inherently wrong with people choosing to eat animal products of they wish to. But we have fucked it up with our disgusting human greed, so I am doing my best, for the moment, to stay out of it.

rosiejaune · 15/08/2018 23:39

People feeding you what you want is not a valid reason to abuse the term vegan.

When I went to university, we were put in a supposedly vegetarian flat, and it turned out one of the "vegetarians" ate fish, and another was an omnivore and had just put they were vegetarian to avoid being put in catered accommodation (not that it would have made a difference anyway).

So I had to share a kitchen that smelled/had residue of tuna and bacon all year.

Boulshired · 15/08/2018 23:39

The OP can describe her diet in anyway she wants but others will disagree with her interpretation of veganism. For me being a vegan is centred around animal welfare. So having cheat days, planning cheat days and not being to bothered about the animal side is not a vegan. But people can call themselves what they want, can follow whatever diet they want. Vegans do not eat meat. But anyone can eat a plant based diet being vegan is more than that.

Original poster
Stepstepmother · 15/08/2018 23:39

I told people here because I wanted to tell someone! I can’t think why I thought people in real life might not understand...

What if I was vegan for 20 years, slipped for a day then went back to it. 30 year. 40. Would I still never have been vegan? Is my 3.5 years not enough? What would be enough? Or is it that I’m not sentimental enough about what I’ve done? That I’m taking a logical and rational approach?

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 15/08/2018 23:40

For one day @purpledaisys. If I even go another 3.5 years that’ll be 7 years with a one day slip

Again, think about the teetotal analogy. If you are teetotal you don’t just choose to drink every three and a half bloody years. You just very rarely drink alcohol. Vegans are teetotal for meat and dairy.

YeahDefinitelyNameChanging · 15/08/2018 23:40

Here’s two vegan blogs re. someone purposefully eating animal products on isolates occasions and not losing their vegan card:

www.thefullhelping.com/what-if-i-mess-up-why-going-vegan-is-not-a-pledge-of-perfection/

www.veganamericanprincess.com/can-you-really-call-yourself-a-vegan/

Are they authoritative? No, but neither are anyone else’s views on the standard of perfection required before you use the label.

MissMarplesKnitting · 15/08/2018 23:41

Well OP you are just NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Lock your door, for fear of the inquisition.

Or just go back to doing your best, reassured that you're far more reasonable than some!

HotblackDesiatoto · 15/08/2018 23:41

I can’t think why I thought people in real life might not understand

We are people in real life. And we understand completely, it is you that does not understand.

Simple question OP...do vegans eat animal products?

PurpleDaisies · 15/08/2018 23:42

Here’s two vegan blogs re. someone purposefully eating animal products on isolates occasions and not losing their vegan card

So what?

PurpleDaisies · 15/08/2018 23:42

Pressed post by accident. You can find blogs backing up all sorts of rubbish. It does not change the definition of “vegan”.

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