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6/2/13 12:12 P

I'm here - just enjoyed a mock tuna sandwich with roasted pepper/tomatoe spread on the vegan friendly bread.

Have a great day all! Pat

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6/2/13 11:48 A

Checking in. I hope everyone is doing well, and having a good day.

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4/25/13 12:31 P

Just checking in - hope everyone is well. Pat

SparkPoints: (43,583)
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3/9/13 12:05 P

Hello All, I'm happy to find yet another vegetarian team on SP! I'm happily vegetarian for 38 years, and lean towards vegan though I never really get all the way there. :D

Creating and adapting recipes to the way I prefer to eat is a passion for me. I'm always asking, how can I make this recipe different or better or healthier. Tofu & veggies in my enchiladas instead of cheese & onion (though onions would be fine), for example.

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3/8/13 10:13 A

I have been wanted to become a vegetarian for a while now. I have a very unique set of constraints though as I have Crohn's disease which limits the types of foods that I can eat. I almost cried when I was first diagnosed and the Dr's told me that I should eat mostly meats and to make sure that they were very well done.

I was diagnosed with Diabetes after a bolus of steroids for my Crohn's disease shut my pancreas down. Now I have to be even more careful about what I eat, so my Dr. sent me to see a nutritionist. I loved meeting with her and getting helpful information from her. I was still trying to be a good doobie and follow the guidelines that had been set by the Gastro Dr. At our last meeting (in October) I asked if it would be possible with my dietary restrictions to try a lacto/ovo vegetarian diet, and she said that it would be amazing and there were foods out there that I could still eat that were okay for the Crohn's disease. Unfortunately the practice decided to do away with it's health education program because it wasn't making them enough money (go figure that a company puts the bottom line above what is good for it's patients), so I have been unable to meet with her to discuss any of the options for me. I am hoping to get some guidance and support in my endeavor to change my lifestyle and health into something better.

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2/13/13 8:12 A

I just want to be a healthy eater no mater what people want to call me. LOL!

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2/4/13 11:09 P

There is no reason to affix a label to yourself or your style of cooking/eating. Just eat plant-based, enjoy it and share it with the world!

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2/4/13 9:36 A

Thanks for the other team info. I am going to check out that book as well.

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2/1/13 6:07 A

"main Street Vegan" - thanks! I'll look for that book.

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1/31/13 10:24 P

Hi, my daughter and I are transitioning to vegetarian - and I hope to keep shifting eventually to vegan. I am really looking for community, quick, easy recipes, and substitutes/exchanges. I have very little time to spend preparing food, so need ideas that work when I'm tired.

Someone else mentioned "Main Street Vegan" - I just brought it home from the library for the second time...

Posts: 4,173
1/29/13 6:23 P

Hi Cindi - welcome. This team has some great resources and some good recipes. Here's another team to consider www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/groups_individ
ual.asp

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1/29/13 12:52 P

Hello, I am new to this team and still trying to figure out what category I will fall under "vegan or Vegetarian". I had to make some dietary changes and with my sister being vegan I figured I would give it a try. I have been cooking more in the past few weeks than I ever have. I love using fresh items. My hubby has even admitted that most of the recipes I have been making as not so bad. LOL!

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1/17/13 5:56 A

Hi all - I'm new to this team, also, and taking a 30 day Vegan challenge. I really like all the food I'm preparing for myself but HATE cooking. Since starting the Vegan challenge I've cooked more than I have in a long time *grumble*. If I don't, though, I'd be living on peanut butter and jelly :-) Looking forward to finding some easy/tasty recipes on this team.

Blessings all, Pat

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12/23/12 8:45 A

HI, i am new to this team and new to vegetarian eating. I really don't need to lose a lot of weight but I need to eat better for my body. I am hoping to learn more about living a healthy lifestyle here.

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10/15/12 5:02 A

Hi I am new to all of this and learning all the time. Vegetarian cooking is a new thing for me so I am here to learn and get ideas along the way.
Healthy eating has always been important to me and as I get older I dislike meat more and more.

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6/13/12 3:29 P

Hi welcome to the team

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6/13/12 1:23 P

Hi, I am a new Vegetarian with a lot to learn. I have been Vegetarian for just over 1 year. I need to get healthy and lose some weight, have a 2 year old grand daughter I want to see grow up. Any suggestion?

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6/5/12 12:48 P

Hi welcome to the team

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6/5/12 12:47 P

Hi everyone! I'm a new vegan, this is my first week into my new lifestyle and I can already feel the benefits of eating clean and eliminating animal products from my diet. I'm glad I found this team, and will be reading and posting more in the forums. :)

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5/25/12 8:38 P

Hi welcome to the group

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5/23/12 11:25 A

Hello everyone! I have been a vegetarian for 15 years, and I am a fairly picky one at that (many of the traditionally thought of vegetarian staples--mushrooms, tomatoes, etc--I do not eat).


I just joined this group hoping to find some great new recipes that inspire me to cook some new (and of coure healthy) things. I don't have a ton of time or energy at night by the time I get home from work, so I would love to find things to cook that are both healthy and don't take tons of time and tons of ingredients to cook.

Looking forward to being part of the group!!

Posts: 7,047
5/6/12 1:55 P

Hi welcome to the team, you made a good choice, I am glad to hear you family is joining you, you can support each other. It is so hard to do it alone

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5/6/12 7:16 A

Hi! I'm new to the team -- I've been flexitarian for years. Amazing becuase I used to hunt w/my grandfather and loved being on his farm but I was never a big fan of meat. A couple of my friends because vegetarians a year or two ago and the more I have talked to them the more of an inspiration they were. I started reading about it (I study on things a lot before I jump in) so as I was reading "Main Street Vegan" and decided there was no better time to make the transition - it was the first of the May so we were starting a new month and I knew I was ready!

I had talked to my family about it when I started thinking about it and reading about it. Told them I was making the change but that didn't mean they couldn't have meat. I was thrilled yesterday when my husband and I were planting tomatoes and he said "We need a bigger garden if we are going to be vegetarian.". He and our daughters are flexitarian, too, but I was still suprised that he's willing to make the switch! Pleasantly surprised!!

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5/4/12 2:00 P

Hi Jaimee, welcome to the team.

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5/4/12 1:32 P

Hi everyone! I'm Jaimee, and I'm a pescetarian currently, but 99% of the time eat vegetarian or vegan meals. I live in Ireland currently but am about to move back to my native Arkansas.

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5/3/12 6:27 P

Hi welcome to the team, glad to here thing are working for you

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5/3/12 7:27 A

Hi Everyone

I became a vegan about 5-6 months ago. Previously I was on whole foods. I started my weight loss journey on 6-10-10. By losing my weight in addition to becoming vegan I was able to quit 2 diabetes, a cholesterol and a triglyceride meds. I am cooking a new recipe a week mainly from 3 cookbooks. I am glad to find a supportive environment to continue to learn about cooking.

Chris

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4/25/12 8:47 P

Hi Cherie, welcome to the team, you will read and ask questions

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4/25/12 8:24 P

Hi. I am Cherie and I am in transition to the Vegetarian Lifestyle. I eat mostly fresh fruits and vegetables and I know I need to learn how to eat in a healthy way. I know that I need to learn about balanced meals and low calorie snacks. I make crock pot soups. I like to do a little cooking and I make lots of salads.

I look forward to meeting some of you and learning from you. Thank You.

Cherie

Posts: 7,047
4/13/12 2:08 P

Hi Melanie welcome, I like your ID my wifes email is 7kitties, at one time we had five, now just 2. You made a good choice in giving up animal products and you are right it is so hard to eat right when people around us are eating junk. I am dealing with that situation now. I have found it more difficult to eat clean and get the processed food out of my diet. If you eat processed foods you are just eating vegan junk food. Just hang in there and keep keeping on.

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4/13/12 10:59 A

Hello All!

My name is Melanie and I am new to the group. I've been toying around with gaining control of my weight since I gained about 100 lbs. in college. I was a lifelong competitive swimmer and was injured during my sophomore year. Turns out, you can't keep eating 5,000-7,000 calories per day and not gain weight when you don't workout 30 hours per week...go figure. So while I chalk up the last 20 years to lazy and unmotivated, I am finally ready to commit and make that permanent lifestyle change. I have tried to get people in my life to help support and motivate me, God love 'em, but it always seems too easy to give into temptation when someone wants to eat crappy food. Starting my "diet" tomorrow just never happens, right? So here I am, looking for support.

My family and I gave up all meat and dairy on January 16th of this year. It has been amazing, all the changes in my health. I've lost 15 lbs. (a drop in the bucket, but a start), my allergies have cleared - no more post-nasal drip, less joint pain, no more racing to the bathroom after every meal, more energy, and great improvement in my skin. All this said, I spent the month of March hopping back on the cheese wagon. Back came the constant stomach cramps and generalized feeling like crap. DONE. It just took that blatant example of exactly what dairy was doing to my body to make me recommit.

Excited to meet some intelligent, motivated vegan peeps here to keep me honest!

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2/7/12 6:54 P

Hi, I know how you feel that is where I am at and have been for almost a year. It is good you have your sister you can support each other. Also could you talk to your hubby and explain to him how important your diet is to you and that even though he don't be in it to support you in it for your good. It won't be easy but I know you can do it.

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2/7/12 2:05 P

HELP!!!

im in need of big time support

ive been living in total denial for almost 5 months and have eaten everything that i dont want to eat.i have completely posioned my body and the scale shows it everyday as it has climbed.

i started yesterday with my sister who is a vegan and struggling also to be accountable with each other.

my husband is not a vegitarian and eats very unhealthy so i have fallen in to a horrible cycle of denial and self destruction.

Please ... I need support to get back on track ... Thanks

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1/29/12 2:36 P

Thanks Mike! I will.

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1/29/12 1:57 P

Hi Kathy I'm glad you stopped by, the teams being slow is my fault, many people are joining but they don't introduce them selves even, and I am not a very good leader. I can use all the help I can get. Any time you want to start a discussion start it. Any suggestions thanks Mike

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1/29/12 11:37 A

Hi I'm Kathy. I always check this team out and belong to it. It seems not alot of people are on here anymore. I'm guilty of not always "talking" on here but want to more. Would like to see this team get going now.

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1/12/12 11:22 P

Hi welcome to the team

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1/12/12 9:27 A

Good morning everyone

I am so excited to see there is a team for vegetarians. I eat vegetarian about 90% of the time...lately vegetarian and vegan for 100%.

I am looking forward to the great conversation and exchange of recipes.


I hope everyone has a great day!

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1/5/12 3:43 A

Hi welcome to the team

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1/4/12 10:02 A

Hi! I'm Sarah. 26, single stay-at-home mom to J (age 6, cerebral palsy, non-verbal, non-mobile) and C (age 9 months, mostly average baby). I have about 30 pounds to lose and I'm hoping to get the majority of it lost by my baby girl's first birthday in April!

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12/28/11 11:06 P

Hi Kathy welcome to the team, I fell of the wagon too and can't figure how to get back on, I am a junk food vegetarian as well

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12/28/11 10:22 P

Hi I'm Kathy. I was doing really good until they closed the store where I worked the beginning of this year. It's been a rough year all around but we are starting a new year. So I am starting over. I was vegan for about 6 months and then I went back to vegetarian. A junk food vegetarian at that. Now I am focusing on healthy. I have gone back to being vegan because I felt so much better eating that way. I have arthritis and it doesn't seem to act up as bad as a vegan. Well enough rambling. I am glad to be back after being away for about a year. Look very forward to 2012. We can do this!

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12/6/11 12:03 A

Hi Nikki welcome to the team, I glad you are finding your way back

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12/5/11 8:38 P

Hello, my name is Nikki.. And I joined this group because i was a Vegetarian several years ago and I lost 93 pound. I became a chicken eater again and I am starting to get sick and not having a lot of engery. So tired, I just recently stopped eating all types of meat and starting a Healthier eating plan. when I was a Vegetarian I felt so much better and didn't have so many health problems.. I cannot wait l to learn and was recipes..

I still cook meat for my familyand friends and lots of recipes but I am switching a little turkey for reg meat etc.. And they not even know..lol

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11/15/11 11:27 P

Sounds yummy!

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11/15/11 2:34 P

Here's a comfort food I made recently from SparkRecipes: recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?
recipe=20100

It's easy to make it vegan & to make it healthier (check out the comments in the reviews). I made it into 8 muffins and topped with TJ's Pumpkin Spice Granola--

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11/9/11 9:59 P

Good evening all! Awfully quiet here lately!!Anyone have some good fall comfort food recipes to share?? Diane

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11/6/11 8:24 P

HI Diane welcome

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11/6/11 8:16 A

Welcome! I also went vegetarian,now have transitioned to vegan with really no problem.I switched for health reasons(T2 diabetic,knee problem,and celiacs disease) I truly don't miss the meat dispite being married to a carnivore!! Waiting for a great gluten free vegan cook book I pre ordered can't wait! Good luck . Diane

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11/3/11 7:11 P

Hi welcome I wish you luck on your journey but it will be worth it did you change for health or ethical reasons

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11/3/11 12:19 P

Hello Everyone!
I went vegetarian this Monday, Oct. 31, 2011! I've been wanting to make the change for a very long time. I am very glad to be here and looking forward to the support and hoping to be a support as well!

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10/12/11 5:06 P

Hi welcome to the team, keep up the good work every little bit helps

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10/12/11 11:53 A

Have been on SP for sometime and been fighting a good fight. Many health issues, but have gotten over them. Realized that I really do not eat much meat, but really should not eat any. I read Alicia Silverstones book and realized that I knew this all along I was just being lazy. My health is more important. I have started and have made it two weeks with no meat. I have not gone vegan. I do not eat eggs and drink soy milk, so almost there. Hope to be a great part of this Team!