Setting A Date

You can be successful going vegan no matter when you start, but boy, can you make your life a whole lot easier if you pick the right time! Can you imagine being a big meat eater and deciding to go vegan the week of Thanksgiving, or right before a wedding? Is it possible? Of course! Easy? Probably not. How about going vegan just before Christmas, and finding yourself forced to look happy when you unwrap that woolen cable knit sweater from Aunt Marge? Or opening that box of See’s Candy and having to eat that obligatory “Mmmm! Thank-you!” piece. Yikes.

Don’t get me wrong. In terms of the environment, the animals, and your health, the best time to go vegan is right this second. If I had my druthers, I’d waive a magic wand. Poof! You’re vegan! But try to think of this as a relationship you want to nurture; one that will last forever. You don’t want a quick romp in the sack, or a two-week fling. You want true love, not a flash in the pan. So let’s make a plan, Stan! Just keep these things in mind:

THERE IS NOT, NOR WILL THERE EVER BE, A PERFECT DATE TO START.

It’s true; if you’re waiting for the perfect time, you’ll likely be waiting forever. There’s a good, great, right, better, and even an absolutely phenomenally fantastic time to go vegan. However, if you’re waiting for the perfect something or other it’s usually just a thinly veiled excuse to avoid it. There is no perfect time. I experienced this while writing, or rather attempting to write, this book. I’m so incredibly grateful and excited to have the opportunity to write, but boy, did I spin around in circles waiting for the perfect time to start. I first blamed my procrastination on my crappy coffee (who can write while sipping a weak cup of Joe?), then it was my computer (who can type with annoying Windows 8?), then it was my five-dollar, secondhand chair (stop making me fidgety, ya stupid, cheapo chair!). I kept replacing one thing after another, creating excuse upon excuse, assuring myself that I couldn’t possibly write a book until I had all the proper tools, supplies, snacks, beverages, lighting, clothes, ambient noise, and weather.

Turns out it wasn’t any of these things that was holding me back; it was my “mind-set.” I’m still sitting on my crappy chair, but it has a comfy old folded blanket on it, and alas, I’m writing. As Harvard School of Education professor Lisa Lahey points out, “The mind-set is the thing that has to change in order to alter the behavior.” And the same is true when you’re transitioning to a healthy vegan lifestyle. You really don’t need much other than a little advice, a pinch of inspiration, and most important the will to do it. All the gizmos, gadgets, space, time, and money won’t get you from “excuse-itarian” to full-fledged vegan if you don’t have the proper mind-set: you want to be vegan, and darn it, you’re making it happen. And I’m writing this book. My mind is set! As Canadian author and environmental activist Margaret Atwood said, “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” So, let’s do this!

Bottom Line: You don’t need “stuff” or perfect circumstances to go vegan. If you really want to go vegan, you can and will go vegan, so drop your excuses off right here, right now—thump! There’s a one-bag limit on this trip, and you’re filling it up with yummy food!

OK, grab your handy-dandy calendar. If you don’t have one you want to scribble on, you can easily print a free one online or use the one on your computer. Let’s start flipping through the dates and figure out the best day for you to start.

Take note of all the holidays, weddings, and any other grandiose festivities that center around food. You’ll likely want to avoid starting on your new adventure on those dates, including a few days after them, too. Tempting leftovers will be lurking, begging you to come hither.

Take note of any business trips or vacations you’ll be taking. I’ll show you how to stay vegan while traveling; it’s a cinch, but for the first few days, it will be easier if you’re close to home sweet home.

Any big exams, interviews, or super-important meetings around the bend? Let’s not mix the first few days of our beautiful new lifestyle with events that are likely to be highly stressful.

Coming down with the flu? Day one of your period? Let’s skip those days, too. Sure, you can go vegan when your uterus is contracting or you’re sneezing your head off, but I suggest letting any preexisting storms pass. Our vegan cruise wants to leave the dock with a rosy forecast of sunshine and smooth sailing. All aboard!

OK, so we’ve crossed out a lot of rocky start dates on our calendar. Now let’s look at some appealing ones that will inspire you to get started on the right foot!

NEW YEAR’S DAY: Yep, it’s an oldie but goodie! Make a New Year’s resolution to go vegan. A new year, a new you!

EARTH DAY: I can’t think of a better present you could give her. By going vegan, you’ll be saving so much of our planet’s natural resources! Earth Day is April 22, and what’s so cool is that there are hundreds of Earth Day celebrations throughout the world that week, which often have lots of fantastic vegan food and activities.

VALENTINE’S DAY: The day of love. In the words of children’s author Ruby Roth, “Vegan is love.” And it’s true. When you’re vegan, you’re showing how deeply you care about animals and the environment. And when you ditch eating animal products, you’re likely to ensure that big, loving heart of yours is a healthy one, too!

THE WEEKEND: For most, Saturday and/or Sunday is a day off from work or school, but if you have an untraditional schedule, try to pick a day where you have the least amount of commitments. More free time usually means less stress, and provides extra time to dash out to the grocery store if you want to, or to look up fun vegan stuff on the Internet, or to simply have extra time to kick back and relax reading this book! Your day “off” is a great time to start!

OK, so did you pick a good date to start? Great! Write it down! Now let’s seal the deal. Here are a few tidbits just to make sure you’re off to a solid kickoff:

PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO WHETHER OR NOT ANNOUNCING THAT YOU’RE GOING VEGAN WILL BE AN ASSET, OR A DETRIMENT.

Take a moment to reflect and figure out if you reach goals easier with a little outside pressure, or if you’re best left alone. We’re all different. I generally work best under pressure, especially if I feel like others are counting on me to do something. If you’re like me, you’ll want to memorialize your commitment to going vegan and perhaps announce that you’re going vegan to someone who will be supportive of you. In 2015 a Dominican University study showed that those who shared their goals with a friend were 33 percent more successful than those who didn’t.1 The data also demonstrated a positive effect on those who felt accountable, so you might want to let a friend know that you’re going to send them a short e-mail or text each day to let them know how you’re doing; or time permitting, you can have a quick chat. If you don’t have a friend or family member whom you think will be supportive, check out some of my support group suggestions in the “vegan resources” section. And you can always write to me, too!

Although there may be some benefit to sharing your new vegan adventure with a good friend, announcing it to the masses might be a bad thing. According to NYU psychology professor Peter Gollwitzer, those who kept their intentions private were more likely to achieve them than those who made them public and were acknowledged by others. The theory goes that once you’ve told people of your intentions, it gives you a “premature sense of completeness.”2 NBA champion John Salley, who switched to a vegan diet because he wanted his “body and libido back” to how he felt in his younger years³, thinks it’s easier to become vegan if you don’t announce it to anyone and advises folks to just “focus on yourself … being conscious of your surroundings, body, and food addictions first.”⁴ So, for some folks, keeping things on the down low gives them a leg up.

But hey, this is the age of unabashed selfies and video broadcasts of our each and every move. If you think you’ll be more accountable if you blurt out “I’m going vegan!” to the world, by all means, post it as your Facebook status, “tweet” it to your followers, or write a blog post about your experience, day by day, for all to read and enjoy. Just know that once it’s out there, it’s out there. You might also get a few notoriously irritating “Mmmm, bacon!” responses, but that’s OK. I’ve been vegan for over twenty-eight years and I still get those boring, wake-me-up-when-you-say-something-original remarks, but I handle them gracefully now, and you’ll be able to as well. No sweat. So stay tuned; I’ve got your back.

Bottom line: We’re all different, so pause, think, and do what you think will work best for you!

DON’T WORRY; BE HAPPY.

Going vegan is fun; it truly is! For the most part, the vegan people that I know are the happiest, most interesting, energized, welcoming folks I’ve ever met. And our conversations often revolve around cute animals, new restaurants, and scrumptious food! What’s not to love about that? Yes, there are a few cranky pants and Debbie downers out there who seem to bicker over everything, but hey, every group of people has them. You’ll find that most vegans are super supportive and more than happy to help you if you ask. And you know what? What’s the worst thing that could happen if you fall off the vegan wagon and grab a little chunk of ole’ dairy cheese? Or cave in to Aunt Millie’s deviled eggs? You’ll probably feel a bit guilty, but that’s about it.

Bottom Line? Don’t stress. You’re going to be fine!

KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU.

Yep, it’s a little mushy—OK, it’s a lot of mushy—but it’s true. I love you. I can barely watch the news these days because there is so much sadness in this world and, more often than not, I end up teary-eyed, and look away. But just knowing that someone, somewhere, is out there trying their best to transition to a compassionate lifestyle gives me so much hope, and I love you for that. You’re the pen to my paper, the peanut butter to my jelly, the nutritional yeast to my vegan mac ‘n cheese. Allowing me to have this wondrous opportunity to help guide you on your new adventure makes me so very happy. Even if just one of you decides to live your life in a kinder, gentler way, I will be overjoyed. Know that I’m so appreciative for each and every little step you take over the next 21 days, even if they’re sprinkled with stumbles. You rock my vegan socks, and I am smitten.

Bottom Line? You’ve got company, chickadee! You’re not alone. I’m covering you up in a soft, warm, cruelty-free blanket of unconditional love, so snuggle up!

Thought FOR THE Day

Make and take time to be healthy. If you don’t, you’ll likely get sick, and you’ll end up spending all that time you didn’t have laying flat in bed while your body takes the time to heal you.