Firstly, I need to congratulate you on making this big decision. Whether you have done it for personal reasons or for the environment, I applaud you :)!

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Transitioning to a plant-based diet (be it your first time or 301st time) is a slow process that is unique to everyone. In order to embrace the plant-based diet (and stick to it), you need to try and understand the benefits of it and of each food group. Ensuring you know what foods you are going to consume more of, to make up for the meat proteins/calories you'll no longer be getting, is a step many people skip and can make it difficult to continue on the journey. But don't be fooled, studies have shown that living plant-based can actually provide you with more energy than your fellow meat-eaters, reduce the chances of type II diabetes as well as lowering the chances of other major illnesses. 

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Here is Barbs' guide to becoming vegan: 

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- Firstly, make sure you understand what it is in your current diet you believe will be easiest for you to stop consuming 'cold turkey' (no pun intended)

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It is unrealistic to think you can wake up one day and just change your diet overnight. This is the reason many diets fail within the first week. By having a look at your diet in detail, you can see exactly how much meat you consume on a regular basis which will later help you calculate over how many weeks it will take you to be fully meat-free. A process I witnessed with friends and she will be celebrating 4 years of veganism this year so I can say it can work if you really try. Start with a diary if needed. Document what you eat for two weeks and from there you can get an idea of where to start in terms of cutting things out of your diet. 

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- Secondly, don't be afraid to experiment with all the alternatives out there.

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Just because coconut milk works for one person doesn't mean it'll necessarily work for you. My best advice here is to experiment with all of the options out there in the vegan world. I've personally tried over 5 types of milk and it's recently changed again so try and stay open-minded.  This will help make your journey easier. 

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Finally, make nutritional meals that work for you. 

The best part about this journey of going vegan is the journey itself. You'll learn so much about food as a whole, about yourself and your own values and you'll meet so many interesting people who are rooting for you on this new journey.  I feel like this goes without saying but: talk to your friends and family about it too. Show them that you are serious and dedicated to your new lifestyle and they will respond with support. This support will be the same thing that keeps you going especially during the early stages potentially on a hard day. Your family and friends love you and will always support you, however... they can't support something they don't know about.

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With time, patience and discipline, you'll start to feel better and more confident in your new lifestyle choice.

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