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]

it is not compatible with life
Behave.

and your dps family will care about you and want the best for you. Yeah, there's nothing like constant negative comments and sniping to show someone you care.

I'd call them out every SINGLE time, OP. Calm stare and calm voice. Repeat their snipe and ask them what they meant/why it's funny/etc. Or just tell them (again, calmly) that you would like them not to comment on what you're eating or ordering, please. Repeat, repeat, repeat and see as little of the rude fucks as possible

I'm not even vegetarian let alone vegan but I think your OH's family would judge my 'healthy' diet too. Poor diet is a total turn off in partner for me. If these comments are not coming from your partner, I'd avoid his family.

I don’t believe the Greggs vegan sausage roll is any healthier than their meat sausage roll - probably even more full of palm oil and processed gunk

Why do they know? Why tell people? Just quietly get on with it rather than talking about it.

Some people think that if you do something differently to them you are implying their own choices are rubbish.
I know plenty of vegans and the only time it’s come up is if we’re choosing a restaurant or similar. The idea that all vegans are preachy is just a silly old cliche.
Sometimes you just have to accept that people won’t like it if you do something different to to the norm but that’s their problem not yours.

Unless you were in a constant state of intoxication that affected your sight then i can see how it would improve if you stopped drinking but...

So your eye sight improved as your not pissed that often now? 😂 my eyes get a bit bad after to much gin too. Eye sight improving is nothing to do with vegan, it’s to do with drinking less & plenty of vegans drink so it’s not anything to do with the vegan diet

Your vegan great, your choice but don’t be “that” vegan, nobody likes her we all know one

Just eat your food, don’t bore on about your diet and ignore dp parents

Honestly, you don't have to be pushy or judgemental to incur this.
A lot of people just enjoy being cunts, as MrsAndrewEldritch demonstrates on a previous page.
My brother is a twat, it's almost the first thing he mentions when I see him, which is only a couple of times a year.
I was vegetarian for 20 years but turning vegan seems to have aggravated him.
And I don't "bang on" about it, I hardly see him or speak to him.
To a lot of people it's a red rag to a bull, no need to be preachy, just have to turn down a bun or something.

Why do they know? Why tell people? Just quietly get on with it rather than talking about it
Because they are family and it’s very unusual to never share a meal with family. It would be weirder if they didn’t know.

Your 100% correct, more fruit and veg have given you more energy, that's a well known fact.

But where does cutting out animal produce play into that? You don't have to completely substitute meat and cheese for more veg. Either cut it down or bigger veg portions.

I'm a full blown cheese and meat eater, I absolutely love meat. But I also could never have a meal without veg. I love a steak, but while my OH had chips with his ill opt for a mountain of veggies. If I lack the veggies even for a couple of days I feel so lethargic and dead.

Angelina

sorry, scrolling on a tiny screen - but I can't see that anyone said a Gregg's vegan sausage roll would be healthier?!

I don’t believe the Greggs vegan sausage roll is any healthier than their meat sausage roll - probably even more full of palm oil and processed gunk

Actually, that's not true - you can view the ingredients and nutrition side by side.
There's not much in it, the vegan one has a little more protein and a little less fat.

Although my post might make me sound judgy and whatever else i have been called in the comments, I would like to make it clear that I am a very polite, friendly person! I don't get into confrontation and I am more introverted when it comes to group discussions, I am always more likely to keep quiet and smile / shrug things off than to start a political debate etc. Maybe this makes me the target as people want to get a rise out of me? They won't, but maybe some people (generally speaking) like to see the quiet, sensible person bite back once in a while? I am not arrogant or talking about my diet openly. It's food. I eat daily like everyone else but I am not a loud activist sort of vegan, I just go about my business discreetly lol

I agree op, you must have been a very heavy drinker for it to have affected your eyesight. I've known a few alcoholics and it took a fair while for them to become so vitamin deficient that it affected their eyes.

Also, I agree that being vegan doesn’t necessarily equal being healthy. I know someone who’s been a vegetarian for over 40 years. They have endless health problems - poor circulation, brittle bones, etc. They look thin, grey and pallid. They also over-exercise and I really think vegetarianism and veganism can be a gateway to orthorexia. It seems to be the case in every single vegan/vegetarian I’ve ever known, with only a single exception.

I'm sorry OP but in your OP you sound like a typical "I'm so hard done by, everyone is judging me even though I'd never judge them and their fatty disgusting meat filled diets", type of vegan.

Is there any evidence that proves that veganism can make a person's eyesight better?

Has your eyesight been tested and an improvement been found

What are they saying to you? Maybe stop going round if it's that bad.

@townandcountrygirl - Where the fluff did I say anything about putting people down...? I quoted 2 very different things you posted, you saying that you would never put someone down, then you being quite judgemental about other peoples choices - it just seemed a bit contradictory is all

It is possible to be healthy and eat meat, it is possible to be unhealthy and be vegan - the only time I have an issue is when someone who is veggie or vegan tries to push their beliefs onto me, its kinda like religion - by all means live your life the way you wish, but don't come knocking on my door and expect me to convert!

Sadly, many of your fellow vegans are doing veganism in general a disservice and acting like self righteous dickheads. Especially round where I live. - announcing you’re vegan can clear a room for fear of being bombarded with all the “political philosophy” bullshit some of the local militant vegans spout. You’re reaping the benefits of their actions.

Just eat what you want and ignore them! And you get bonus points for saying you’d never judge anyone’s food choices, and then roundly judging those of your entire family. Nicely done! High five!

You sound very judgey yourself. Eyesight improved? Really?

My 2 closest friends are vegan and vegetarian. I eat a lot of meat, dairy and also vegan. I cook vegan for them.
I also eat crisps, chocolate, wine and gin! Not so healthy. You sound a bit precious. Maybe they think you are.

How is your eyesight better? What do you mean?

I really think vegetarianism and veganism can be a gateway to orthorexia. It seems to be the case in every single vegan/vegetarian I’ve ever known, with only a single exception.

Sorry I think this is total rubbish. Anything can be a 'gateway' to an eating disorder. Sounds like your friend was under eating and over exercising which has nothing to do with vegetarianism.

All the vegetarians I know are perfectly healthy.

I know 4 women who had EDs but they were never vegetarian.

So the improved eyes, sleep and energy is due to eating a healthier diet, not switching from vegetarian to vegan.

So if you ate lots of things like chips, cheese on toast, heavy pasta meals in creamy cheesy sauces and don't have these now, you feel better, which is due to a better diet, not necessarily cutting out dairy.

While I do believe certain types of vegan diets (ie those that contain lots of fruit, veg, salad, pulses and nuts/seeds) can be very healthy, it's not a given that a vegan diet is more healthy than any others, such as I can't see how vegan cheese substitutes are healthier than standard dairy cheese consumed in small amounts.

Eg Violife original vegan cheese is made from: Water , Coconut Oil (21%) , Starch , Modified Starch* , Sea Salt , Flavourings , Olive Extract , Colour: B-Carotene , Vitamin B12. How is that healthier than cheese made from milk?

You sound a bit unaware of how you come across.