For years, being vegan was everything to me. It was my lifestyle, my identity, my way of taking control of my health. I originally chose veganism because I was facing a series of health issues, and I knew that a plant-based diet might help. And it did. I had never felt so energized, so healthy. My body felt clean and lean, and the constant bloating I used to experience disappeared. Veganism wasn’t just about food for me—it was about being my healthiest self.
But over time, life started to shift. My workload got heavier, my schedule became chaotic, and I was juggling a full-time job along with grad school. To keep up, I found myself turning to convenient, quick vegan options: soy products and meat substitutes loaded with additives. The whole foods I once loved became harder to maintain with my demanding routine, and my diet turned into a mix of processed snacks and fillers. I was grabbing Oreos and Skittles just to hold me over between work and school—a far cry from the health-conscious choices I’d made at the start of my vegan journey.
This wasn’t what I wanted. I was feeling sluggish, and the “quick vegan fixes” were not giving me the energy or nutrition my body needed. It was a tough realization, but I knew I needed to make a change. So, I made the incredibly difficult decision to reintroduce meat into my diet. I still try to be mindful of everything I eat, focusing on quality, whole foods as much as possible, but adding animal products back in has helped me find balance again in a way I was struggling to find before.
It breaks my heart that I’m no longer vegan. Even now, I sometimes think about going back, but I also know that taking care of myself in this season of my life means being flexible with what my body needs. I’ll always carry a piece of that lifestyle with me, and who knows, maybe someday it’ll be right for me again. But for now, I’m focusing on balance, and on doing what keeps me feeling my best, even if it looks different than I expected.
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Alejandra