You’ve eaten your body weight in hummus and you’re only one week in –Veganuary is tough, huh? For those who can feel their motivation waning, we asked vegans who’ve been there, done that, why it’s worth persevering.
Nicola Neal and her nine-year-old son signed up to a month of Veganuary last year – they decided to stick with the lifestyle and are now celebrating their one-year veg-anniversary.
“The possibilities are endless,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Vegan food is so varied and so full of colour if you avoid the processed foods. You have hundreds of different fruit and vegetables to choose from and when you take meat out of the equation, it makes you more adventurous with the veggies.
“For me, I enjoy knowing that I have a clear conscience because I’m not contributing to any cruelty.”
Amber Badger, who’s been vegan since June 2017, agrees and says once you get the hang of it, your diet can feel more interesting and nutritious than it’s ever been.
“I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything at all,” she says. “There are so many brilliant blogs and cookbooks and my favourite thing is just looking in a fridge full of all fresh veg and thinking what I can throw together – it’s pretty much always delightful.”
[Read More: 5 vegan cookbooks to help you kickstart Veganuary]
Meanwhile Carrie Eddins, who’s been vegan for three years, encourages you not to give up if you don’t feel 100% on top form right away.
“When I went vegan I felt very lethargic for a few months,” she says. “I got some B12 patches and put one behind each ear, which helped me enormously. And I drank a lot more water than normal. Whatever you do, however you approach it, go gentle, be kind to yourself and your body.”
Still not convinced? We also spoke to vegans on Twitter for their motivational nuggets of wisdom and they replied with oodles of enthusiasm:
[Read More: 8 vegan shampoos to try for Veganuary]
Need a bit more of a boost? Here are six vegan swaps you could use throughout the month, as well as five vegan recipes that require just five ingredients each.