[technoooooost]

100% agree. Not proud of eating meat, been vegan 3+ years, but right now my selfish reason is that there are so few moments of pleasure in life, and eating meat is one of them. Hoping to get vegan again if I can find other pleasurable activities to keep me from jumping off a cliff.

[steve_adams_86]

I hear you. For a long time, this sort of connection to my roots (I grew up raising and eating meat with my family) and the desire for gratification was what kept me eating meat (and especially cooking – I love the cooking part).

Part of what drove me to make the change though was the realization that the gratification was superficial and fleeting, and not at all worth the harm I could see I was either causing or paying for. I think in part this decision was only possible because I do have the means to eat well as a vegan, I'd considered it for almost 5 years (!), and a few key factors in my personal values/philosophy somewhat conveniently fell into place. It's by no means a switch anyone can flick and just become a vegan.

I suppose, like you, I realized that I wasn't particularly happy (quite the opposite at times) and I needed to pursue something more deeply gratifying, or genuinely good for myself or others around me.

It's hard to do. I won't pretend I'm good at it. Take care of yourself though, and don't beat yourself up. Sticking to veganism is legitimately difficult for a lot of people, especially after a lifetime of eating meat. I'd say do what keeps you alive, focus on your health, make the change when you've got the energy and well-being on your side to do it right.

[gw98]

Spicy food does it for me. I found that it wasn't meat I was after but flavour. Turns out you don't need meat for flavour.

Also when I'm craving meat it tends to go away if I take iron supplements or remember to actually eat enough iron filled vegetables.

[steve_adams_86]

Hey, me too! Spicy food does wonders for making a meal feel like more than just food.

I've found I get the same level of gratification from eating really well-seasoned dal (for example) that I used to get from eating meat. As my tastes have adjusted, I don't miss the meat at all. I think what it is though is that I used to season meat heavily, cook it carefully, and it was this delicious, very intentional, and extremely gratifying sensory experience. If I replace that with vegetables, grains, and legumes, it seems to basically do the same thing. I never crave barbacoa beef anymore, but I'll crave chilli or pad Thai (heavily seasoned and savoury or bright, intense flavours) and feel just as great when I eat them.

I also agree that ensuring your nutritional bases are covered goes a long way in reducing cravings (arguably for just about anything).