Interview with a Vegetarian

I decided to interview one of my classmates, Katie, on why she decided to become a vegetarian and how that has impacted her life. Below is a transcript of our interview.

Andre: How long have you been a vegetarian or vegan?
Katie: I have been a vegetarian for about 6 years now and I am a vegan.

Andre: Was it difficult for you to switch to a completely vegan diet, or did you ease into it slowly?
Katie: The hardest part for me was doing the research on the types of foods and products that I would be able to use after becoming a vegan. It wasn't hard for me to give up meats or animal products because I saw the types of things they do to those animals.

Andre: Is that why you decided to become vegan, because of the animal cruelty that surrounds it?
Katie: That was a major reason why I decided to become vegan, but also, I wanted to become healthier person overall and cut out all of the horrible processed foods I'd been eating. 

Andre: Did you notice any changes to your health, positive or negative?
Katie: At first, I found myself with really low energy and a sort of craving for meat. I realized that I had taken the meat out of my diet and not replaced it with anything else and that was a mistake. After I got into a good diet plan, I lost some weight and felt way less lazy than I usually had. 

Andre: How long did it take you to do enough research to come up with a good vegetarian diet for yourself?
Katie: I had to do a lot of research. Thank God for the internet. It took a couple of years to find what works for me. I wasn't trying to create a diet plan because I don't feel like this is a plan, it's a lifestyle for me now. I don't plan out what I'm going to eat everyday, I just have more knowledge of the types of foods I want to put into my body and where to get them at.

Andre: Is the rest of your family vegan? Did you have any influence on their diet?
Katie: At first, my family thought I was going through some sort of phase and that it wouldn't last, but here I am 6 years later. I did try to convert them a couple of times, but they still eat meat. A small victory is that they've cut down on the amount of meat they do eat and I hope it's because of some of the information I've shared with them. 

Andre: Are there any things that you still struggle with being a vegetarian today?
Katie: It is hard for me to go out with my non-vegan friends and have to be the odd girl out. Not because I miss meat or animal products but because at times I feel like I am making it difficult for my friends to accommodate my lifestyle. Also, going out to eat in general is hard because the vegan world is a small section in the restaurant business. 

Andre: Have you ever slipped?
Katie: Oh yea, all the time. Sometimes it's on accident and sometimes I try some things that are non vegan. I don't feel that just because I'm not vegan 100% of the time means that I am not an actual vegan. I hardly feel the need or desire to slip out of my vegan lifestyle. 

Andre: Any advice you would give to someone who wants to be a vegetarian or vegan?
Katie: I would say to make sure you do your research before jumping into a complete lifestyle change. You need to make sure that the diet is right for you and that you are going about it the right way in order to remain healthy.