If you decide and commit, you can be vegetarian, on the other hand if you go back home and just expect it to happen, you’ll be a carnivore in … I give you 24 hours. Eating dead animals is ingrained into us. Temptations surround us. Such a habit cannot be easily broken. One needs a REASON. Such as compassion for animals, one’s health, concern for the environment and sustainability of the earth, etc. My reason was/is compassion for animals.

I was like you. If I didn’t have meat or fish, it was a bad meal. Even dried fish was not enough. I was a carnivore extraordinaire. I tried to ignore the reality of where my food came from (kinda easy with supermarkets and restaurants), but it was always there, nagging me in the dark recess of my mind. I dabbled with vegetarianism every now and then since I was 17, always giving up. Finally I figured it out. I needed to give them up one by one. This is what worked for me, I know many people who became vegan overnight. Every year or so, a new category went from my diet. Beef, pork, fish, seafood, chicken, dairy, honey, and finally eggs. All gone over the course of several years, and now completely vegan for for 4 years. Then I started cutting out leather goods and clothes, satin, fur etc. Once you see our holocaust against animals, it is hard stop. You want to do everything you can to not contribute to it. Animal food doesn’t tempt me now. When I see meat in a supermarket or restaurant, I see dead animals. I no longer see food. If I see a cooked chicken leg or breast, I immediately have visions of the bird and it’s body parts. I am finally cured, and so happy about it.

I can finally look at animals in peace. I see animals or fish, and I can look them in the eye. It is the most marvelous feeling, this being able to look at animals in peace. I had heard this described many times before, but like nibbana, this is a happiness you have to experience. No amount of explaining from others will do.

I had to make a sacrifice: learn to cook. I was no longer able to exclusively eat out. But it was worth it. I still go out with friends etc, but don’t expect much when I do. If I go to a dinner or a party, I eat before I go. When hosts/friends express concern over my not eating, I say, or, don’t worry, I ate before I came. I always eat before I go places. This also keeps me in a good mood, and from being tempted. If I am out at a restaurant socializing, and the only thing vegan is the french fries, that is what I eat. If I am not sure what’s in the vegetable soup (butter, meat broth etc) I skip it. I learned that if you make exceptions here and there, they are like cracks in your armor.

I read labels of everything I buy to make sure no sneaky animals products are listed in them. I am now comfortable with veganism that I don’t need any help. Needed lots of help in the beginning though. My fix was videos (and info) on peta.com. When I started to forget why I gave up meat and started to think of animal food in a dangerous (tempted) way, I would quickly jump on peta.com (or is it org?) and watch a few videos. I’ll be good for at least 4-6 months. It’s like getting a shot. Effects last a long time. Videos are hard to watch, sometimes I sat there screaming and crying, tears rolling down on to the keyboard, but I knew I couldn’t stop. The videos are short, a few minutes each, but agony to watch. But I knew I NEEDED them to keep me from faltering. Peta videos were my hidden weapon. I am so grateful to peta for my new life. I am now safely on the other side that I don’t need any crutches like that anymore, but I used this method to help me in my conversion for a long time.

In reality, I haven’t given up anything. I still eat every curry I can think of. I just follow the exact recipe for chicken curry or whatever, just substitute the chicken with potatoes, eggplant or mushrooms. Here in the US, there are also great faux meats like Gardein and MatchMeats, and the truly amazing Silk soy milk. I had a surprise realization through all of this. It’s not really the chicken or the fish, so much as the spicy curry sauce that I was in love with! So I am not missing out on anything! Desserts? I make vegan versions of pretty much everything.

Life as a vegan is good. I highly recommend it!

Gone to atleast 10 countries since then and have found UK was the easiest to be a veg and the most difficult was in China. I am yet to go to India though..

In SL I think the best meat you can go for is pork — it’s pretty high in standard and healthier than beef.