How to Find Motivation and Commit to a Plant-Based Lifestyle.
The Thanksgiving table is bustling with conversation as traditional dishes of turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, and stuffing are eagerly passed between family members. If you’re anything like me, you say “no thank you,” to just about everything handed your way and prepare to dig into your loaded plate of vegetables and carbs — all made with non-dairy butter of course.
It isn’t long until your meat-free plate becomes the topic of conversation…
“I could never give up meat, where do you get your protein from?!”
“I LOVE cheese, how do you do it?!”
“We are carnivores, it’s the circle of life!”
If these comments sound familiar to you, I know your struggle. You’ve probably learned that all you can do is laugh and shake your head to avoid going down the proverbial vegan/vegetarian vs. meat-eater rabbit hole.
There’s a time and a place for such discussions and Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma’s is not one of them. Trust me.
If you’re reading this in hopes of making the change to a plant-based lifestyle, get ready for the array of questions and comments coming your way. It comes with the territory and I promise, shaking them off will get easier.
I’m sending you a virtual high-five!
Change Is Hard.
The bottom line is that change can be hard for ANYONE
Leaving behind a conditioned lifestyle is scary. Let’s face it, you ate your first bite of meat before you even said your first word and were never told there are other options.
The information on living a plant-based lifestyle is endless and the support system around you is that one book you bought on a whim about proper nutrition that you can’t seem to finish. It can feel like a lonely dirt road with endless four-way stops and you’re looking for a little direction.
So before you begin, ask yourself some important questions:
Are animal rights and ethics important to you?
Do you want to help the environment?
Are you eager to drop the weight and give up the blood pressure medication?
A study of 11,000 people found that five out of six people who give up meat revert back to a carnivore diet. 86% of vegetarians went back while 70% of vegans did. Yet, 37% of ex-vegetarians/vegans indicated they want to give up meat again in the future (4).
Knowing the “WHY” before you begin your plant-based journey is the key to sticking to it.
Let’s take a look at the top 3 motivations to make the change to a plant-based lifestyle and how they play an important role in sticking to it.
ANIMALS CAN’T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
Animal welfare issues fall lower on the priority list when deciding to switch to plant-based, but it tends to be the most effective in maintaining the lifestyle as a whole.
When there’s genuine concern for the lives involved, switching to plant-based takes on a whole new meaning. Not only are you doing it for yourself, but now you’re doing it for other living beings. And that’s a BIG responsibility — a responsibility that most of us aren’t willing to take on.
But putting the lives of these innocent animals at the forefront helps create a sense of accountability.
After all, how many of us turn a blind eye to what’s taking place in slaughterhouses across the country? And why is it so easy for us to feel anger and sadness when our beloved house pets are mistreated, but not for the voiceless animals treated poorly for our consumption?
Could you choose an animal you want to consume, witness it’s torture and killing from start to finish, and then put it on your plate? This is a question most people don’t like to ask themselves. But just because it’s uncomfortable to think about doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
In fact, one study revealed that 21.9% of survey participants considered going vegan after watching a feature-length documentary about the meat industry. The survey also found that 15.5% stated that graphic footage from animal farming and/or slaughterhouses convinced them to go vegan (6).
We all know education is power and who doesn’t love learning from Professor Netflix? There are so many documentaries out there that will show you the gruesome reality of the meat industry. Some of my favorites are Earthlings, Meet Your Meat and Lucent.
While subjecting ourselves to these horrific images can be hard and uncomfortable, it is a key component for success in sticking to a plant-based lifestyle.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE PLANET
The terms global warming and climate change continue to be hot topics, and some scientists say that by the year 2050 we will have depleted the majority of our planet’s natural resources.
In an attempt to do your part you’ve purchased the reusable grocery bags, stopped using plastic straws, and even manage to turn the lights out when you leave a room or turn the water off while brushing your teeth.
At this point, you may be asking what else you can do to contribute and reverse the effects of climate change before it’s too late?
For many, the impact that the meat and dairy industry have on our planet’s environment is enough to commit to making the switch to a plant-based lifestyle.
In the US alone, 41% of agricultural land is being used for raising farm animals and the food in which we feed them (2).
Today, animal agriculture is one of the largest contributors to pollution in our environment surpassing the entire transportation sector combined (3). To put this into perspective, the production of only 2 lbs of beef causes more greenhouse-gas emissions than driving a car for 3 hours!
Not only are we burning through resources, but animal agriculture also produces a dangerous amount of waste that can cause serious health problems for humans.
Sadly, many animal farm locations tend to be in more rural and poor communities where most of the population is made up of minorities. The waste from the animals gets sprayed into the air then inhaled by nearby residents. This can cause inflammatory, immune, and neurochemical problems(5).
These are just a few examples of climate change causes and effects and many more can be found through research and documentaries such asCowspiracy, Endgame 2050, and Before The Flood.
If you have a strong love for our planet and want to ensure future generations live healthily and happily, using the environment as your motivation for making a change to a plant-based lifestyle can be successful in helping you stick to it.
YOUR HEALTH AS TOP PRIORITY
There’s a saying that food is medicine and this couldn’t be more accurate.
With the obesity rate in America at a whopping 40% and the high usage of prescription drugs to help obesity-related diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, it’s no wonder that plant-based diets are trending.
One survey conducted in Great Britain of one thousand adults found health to be the top reason for people to give up meat consumption (1). Plant-based diet benefits are also a common theme emphasized in recent and popular documentaries such as Netflix: Forks Over Knives and What The Health to name a few.
While health and diet are a great motivator to make the switch to a plant-based lifestyle, I can’t help but wonder why this reasoning doesn’t quite stick for people over time?
Would people be more committed if they were able to identify with the animal rights or environmental reasoning as well?
Most people aren’t sure where to begin with their new diet or how to replace the meat in their meals — which can cause some hesitation. As a society, we’re so used to convenience when it comes to food such as pre-made frozen meals, drive-throughs, and having endless restaurant options.
But I promise that plant-based recipes are no more difficult to make than meals packed with animal products. You just have to get over the learning curve and familiarize yourself with the basics.
There are also a plethora of vegan/vegetarian options at restaurants and meat-free restaurants popping up all over the world!
Also, take the time to research what you will need for proper nutrition and load up on plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. And don’t be afraid to get creative with your meals. There are plenty of cookbooks, documentaries, and social media posts to help you get started.
To help hold yourself accountable, I also suggest finding other aspects of the plant-based lifestyle that hold weight with your moral values. Try researching the life-cycle of the meat on your plate and how it got there or what effects animal products can have on your body over time.
While that steak may be enjoyable for those ten minutes, compound those ten minutes throughout your life and ask yourself:
What it is doing to your cholesterol levels and heart health?
What antibiotics are you ingesting from those products?
What kinds of medications are people having to take to maintain their day to day activities at the expense of a poor diet?
Many people who use diet and health as their motivation without an understanding that there are still plenty of unhealthy vegan/vegetarian products out there or what proper nutrition looks like will give up when they don’t see significant results.
It’s important to understand that while a plant-based lifestyle has many dietary benefits, this lifestyle as a whole is most successful when paired with an ethical desire to do better for the animals and our planet.
You Can Make a Difference
Choosing to go plant-based is extremely rewarding.
Whatever your reasoning for making the switch to a plant-based lifestyle, know that what you are doing is important and it does make a significant difference not only in your life but for the world around you.
There will be push back from those closest to you and there will be moments of hardship and setbacks but continue to find reasons to remain strong in your choices and look for different ways to embrace the changes you’re making.
Once you feel committed, start spreading the seeds of your newfound knowledge to your friends and family and watch it unfold.
YOU GOT THIS!
Cheers to you and your journey, I’ll be rooting for you!
Sources: