Most people don't really know this about me- but I'm a vegan...to an extent. After many years of going back and forth between being vegetarian for a few weeks or vegan for a few days I was finished. When all is said and done, I would immediately return to my meat/eggs/dairy-filled lifestyle and feel totally defeated. Finally, I have decided upon a nice middle ground for myself that I have been able to maintain happily for the last month or so.

Why am I vegan?

Funny you should ask, because this is one of the questions that I am constantly bothered with. Given that what I put into my body is my business and my business alone, I should just shrug people off rather than giving the longest explanation ever. For the purposes of this article, I'll tell you. Initially, veganism was my response to seeing all of those horrible Facebook videos that were the inside-scoop on what really happens to all the chickens and cattle we consume every day. Those struck a cord in me, and as an animal lover I always wished I could successfully go vegan. My problem is that I love food. I love food more than most people, and anyone can tell by looking at my physique that I love my meat and cheese. Therefore, I would always "go vegan" for a few days at most before I let myself (and all of the poor animals) down. Fast-forwarding from my sad 2009 self to about a month ago, I realized that I wasn't really happy with how my body was looking. Also, I bought a very tight-fitting Halloween costume that would not look very pretty without a little work. Before going on a traditional diet, I thought about what it was that made me really unhealthy to begin with. Believe it or not, I narrowed it down to meat and dairy. Of course, my own conceited desire to look better in clothes outweighed the philanthropic goals of 2009, and I decided that raw veganism was the way to go.

But I'm a hypocrite...

Why, you ask, am I hypocritical filth? You see, I decided that I would only dedicate myself to veganism from Monday to Friday. The weekends are there for me to purge and indulge in as much or as little "normal" food that my omnivore core craves. Generally, it's never too much because I have been losing weight at a rapid rate so far. To be completely honest, my weekend purge is a result of convenience. In this day and age, one can go out for almost every meal, especially on the weekends. My cheat days are really my attempt at maintaining flexible eating habits for my friends and family who don't always want to accommodate for my vegan journey.The most feedback I've gotten comes from real vegans who come for me like they're on a witch hunt for fake vegans. Apparently, what I'm doing offends those of the vegan community who "take the vegan lifestyle seriously". Regardless of what they say, I love my plan. It has encouraged me to eat more fruits and vegetables, and I feel a lot healthier. I even noticed that I have more energy than before. Most of all, I've realized that the vegans who attack me for my choices are pathetic, because anyone who truly had the best interest of animals and the environment in mind would understand that any small difference to one's lifestyle helps the cause and works to eliminate the American culture that places such a high value on having meat and cheese for every meal rather than plates of veggies. All in all, I know that eating vegan 5 out of 7 days a week has a huge impact on both my body and the world around me.