Newly vegan and fed up of ridicule from others

[townandcountrygirl]

I have been vegan for 7 months now and have really grown tired of OH's family / friends making irritating / derogatory comments about veganism and my healthy lifestyle. I have seen only positive changes since going vegan - I am in good shape, I am waking up earlier, my eye sight has improved and my energy levels have shot up considerably. I had been vegetarian for 12+ years and this is something I have always wanted to do.

My own friends and family are supportive. I have grown up in a household where I was encouraged to make my own decisions and stand up for what I believe in. My mother is a gluten-free nutritionist who grows her own veg and is very active / health conscious. My sister is also a vegetarian. I have meat-eating family members, but they treat my decisions with love and respect, even if they think I am a little 'different' because of it.

OH and I have been together for 6 years and have been friends for over 10 years (we grew up around the same home town). We are living together and have been spending a fair amount of time with his friends and family. I have received many negative comments about my diet, which I am not banging on about every 2 mins, I am merely ordering vegan options from restaurant menus or have been caught in the act juicing veggies.

OH's family are generally unhealthy, choosing convenient foods, alcohol, sugary treats and high-fat meals over anything remotely healthy. I often feel like the 'weird' one for having vegetables on my plate at all. My thought is that they are irritated by my healthy lifestyle because they are unable to stop their own poor lifestyle choices.

Has anyone else come up against criticism from people in this way? I bite my tongue and smile, knowing my diet does not affect them at all, but I am tired and disheartened by their constant snipes. I am a nice, loving person so keep telling myself that we are all entitled to our own decisions. It is just sad, because i'd never put another person down for their food choices, even if I didn't personally agree with it.

[edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

Tbf if you’re banging on about your eyes and all these miraculous health benefits they’re probably reacting to that. No one likes a bobby big head.

If not then they’re just penises. I’d never be rude about someone’s dietaries unless they were banging on and/or being hypocritical. Eg. Going on about vegan then eating a honey nut cornflake. (This does happen a lot)

*could OP's blood pressure be down to explain improved eyesight?

I wouldn't mind seeing OP post a few exampls of her daily food intake, b4 & after she became vegan.

All the people freaking out over the Greggs vegan sausage roll on Twitter just shows how defensive people can get when faced with something new or different to what they like. I’m not vegan but couldn’t give a fuck what anyone else is, and all this talk of ‘preachy’ vegans really doesn’t match up with my experience. None of my vegan friends even mention it unless specifically asked!

Just keep doing what you’re doing and ignore the stupid comments, they’ll get bored eventually!

I'd love to have the dedication and discipline to be vegan. I went vegan for two weeks and felt amazing. It was really hard doing extra cooking for myself though as my oh and dc eat meat.

You said your eyesight improved though? Amazing. That might sway me...

Bit of advice though: just nod your head and move on. I don’t drink cows milk cos it freaks me out, so I if I say no milk in my tea and someone calls me ‘a vegan nazi’ (yes it’s happened!!) I just shrug and move along: ‘I’ll just make my own tea it’s fine’

I don't put people down, even if I THINK I don't agree @FatButt. Also - eyesight is down to cutting alcohol - forgot to mention I did this at the same time!

It's great you're a vegan, don't get me wrong.

But you all tend to 'justify it too much.
Your eyesight has improved? No not hasn't, although having a more plant based diet does slow the deteriation of age related eye sight problems.

Vegans tend to talk about it like vegansim is a cure. No it isn't, it's a diet.

Like a glass of red wine can reduce blood pressure and lessen your chance of heart disease. What it doesn't do it cure heart disease. Two different things.

Your diet is great but don't over sell it.

Bollocks has it improved your eyesight

I’d counter that this isn’t an AIBU merely virtue signalling. Essentially you are on here to TELL us that you are vegan like so many before you

And so the stereotype continues.

Mince pies and wine can certainly be vegan. Wouldn’t have a clue about fags.

Ethel36 you failed at being vegan because of you, not your family. I would say you chose not to be vegan anymore rather than failed. I have to cook separate melas alot due to my allergies. It can be done.

Op if you drank that much your eye sight was suffering, you are not generally healthy.

the "veganism incompatible with life" thing - what does that even mean?!

My thought is that they are irritated by my healthy lifestyle because they are unable to stop their own poor lifestyle choices

Vegan doesn't ever automatically = healthy and that's probably what's pissing them me off.

Anecdata klaxon - one if the unhealthiest people I know is militant vegan. She lives on crisp sandwiches, marmite on toast and Oreos. She drinks a lot. She's off work frequently for a never-ending catalogue of vague health problems and she is constantly grey and irritable.

(I also know some delightful and perfectly healthy vegans but my point is, there's nowt inherently 'healthy' about the lifestyle)

I don't put people down

I think you should re-read your OP and try not judge people on their eating/lifestyle if you don't want the same done to you.

You just have to ignore people that are judgemental of you being vegan.

Tbf it mainly newish vegans that bang on about it. Once you’ve been doing by for years you barely think about it. And you realised that you are probably no more / no less healthy than other people. And you realise that there are loads of other ethical behaviour as you don’t do - I drive when I could cycle. I travel by air. I could probably buy food with less packaging and recycle more. Blah blah blahhhhhhhhh.

Mince pies and wine can certainly be vegan. Wouldn’t have a clue about fags.

Yes, they can. But only if made with vegetable suet and vegan friendly alcohol etc. Cigarettes have dead insects in them.

Ignore it and don't let them get to you so much - who cares what they think, anyway? All of the vegans I know are just people who want the world to be a kinder, more compassionate place; for animals to not be slaughtered and tortured for their flesh and bodily secretions or for science, sport or entertainment; and for the good of the planet for our children's and grandchildren's futures. What on earth can be wrong with that?

You say your mum is a gluten free nutritionist. Is she coeliac? Does she treat only people with coeliac?

@BarbaraofSevillle massively upping the fruit and veg / water intake and ditching cheese / milk products - personally I feel more energy, it might be because when I was vegetarian I was using a ton of cheese in most meals. Made me lethargic !

It has improved your eyesight?

Your op reads like you think you're vastly superior to them. Are you absolutely sure they haven't picked up on that a bit?

Yes, they can. But only if made with vegetable suet and vegan friendly alcohol etc.

Easily available in supermarkets these days

OP do you think you might be lactose intolerant? I’m guessing that is the major change you’ve made to your diet in going from veggie to vegan and could explain all the health benefits you’ve enjoyed.

Shazafied “I travel by air”

Lazy cow, make the kids swim the channel to France like us healthy folk

I imagine if it's only been four months it's still a bit of a novelty, why do all these folks need to know what you eat anyway. Just eat what you want.