Many people would argue that it is complicated or expensive to shop for a vegan diet. This is simply untrue. You could shop for a well-balanced vegan diet at Walmart alone. Think about it for a moment. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice, canned or dried beans, nuts/nut butters, and non-dairy milks are all available at Walmart. Whole Foods is a luxury that has many vegan meat and dairy alternatives and vegan convenience options, but these items are not necessary to succeed on this diet. So we have established that a vegan diet can be cheap. I would gladly do a week on a "Walmart-only" or low-budget vegan diet if you are interested in seeing that in the future.
Others may be concerned about the time required to prepare these simple ingredients in a way that is palatable. If you have a rice cooker and/or slow cooker you can let those appliances do a lot of the work for you! Set aside an hour or two for food prep on Sunday afternoon. You could whip up great vegan meals throughout in 10-20 minutes.
Those who know me might say that this does not really ring true with me. I love cooking and don't cook with any sense of urgency, but I do plan ahead and usually make a huge bean and grain dish to use for lunch or a quick dinner throughout the week. However, when I have the time, I will take a leisurely hour or more to make an awesome vegan meal. To each their own, right?!
P: Two.
T: And why do you say that?
P: I say that because I don't think I can do it. I don't think I have the willpower because it is not something I desire. If it was something I desired, my confidence would go up.
T: So if you were to answer the same question for a vegetarian diet, would your answer change?
P: A lot. I could do a vegetarian diet for 21 days and probably be an eight or nine.
Q #2. What are the animal products you will miss most while on this diet?
Milk would be #1 and cheese would be #2. I use milk in my coffee and my cereal and wouldn't be willing to give it up.
Q #3. What are your general perceptions of or attitudes toward veganism?
To each his own, it's just not for me.
Q #4. If you were ultimately convinced to go vegan, what would most likely be your reason: personal health, welfare of animals, or environmental sustainability?
Personal health.
Q #5. What do you hope to gain from this experience?
Nothing.
Q #6. Is there anything you absolutely do not want to eat while on this diet?
I'll eat almost anything.
Q #7. Any guilty pleasures that may act as temptations on this diet?
Coffee, ice cream.
Q #8. What do you do for physical activity?
My goal is 10,000 steps per day. I usually walk at lunch time at work, but it is weather dependent. I'm walking during the day between two buildings. On the weekends most of my activity comes from working in the yard and sometimes I get up to 12,000 to 16,000 steps.
Q #9: How much energy would you say you feel you have throughout the day on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being feeling lethargic or fatigued and 10 being alert and as if you always want to be on the move, with energy to spare.
Somewhere in the middle. It's more mental than physical. If I'm bored at my job, I'll feel more lethargic, but if I'm really busy I tend to feel more energized.
Q #10. How much sleep on average do you think you need at night to feel rested and energized?
Eight hours.