I was one of the few people who actually went vegan without going vegetarian and eventually excluding more and more things. My motivations, however, were more self-centered. I actually decided to make the switch for health reasons. Throughout my childhood I had always been slightly obese. By the end of my junior year in high school, I decided that it was time I really did something about it - and actually do it! I ended up going from a 36" waist to a 28, and lost 60 pounds total... all from going vegan. Who knew?Don't get me wrong, I did several days of research before I made any changes to my diet at all. Just about every paper or article I read was in support of a vegetarian diet, but many seemed to point to this supposedly better, yet slightly more "unachievable" vegan diet plan. I was never much for cheese or eggs, so the transition wasn't that difficult for me.
I continued reading and reading, joining groups and forums, trying to learn all I could about being vegetarian/vegan. This led me to learn the many horrors of the meat industry in the way the animals are treated. Even living so close to farms, I had never really gotten that elementary school idea out of my head that chickens and cows run in green grassy meadows and everyone's happy all the time. It was a VERY rude awakening.
Even though I cite health as my initial reason for going vegan, I know hold health concerns and animal welfare issues equally in my reasoning behind staying vegan. With almost 3 years behind me, I would never even think of going back to the way I used to eat - I just couldn't do that to my body, or my conscience!
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