How I did it: 1.)  Pre-planning- do your research and don't use poor sources.2.)  De-meat your life.  For the weeks before the vegan month, stop buying animal products.
3.)  Don't toss your animal derived products- that's just waste full.
4.)  I didn't stress.  If I made a mistake I didn't restart the clock.
5.)  Read labels.  Call restaurants ahead of time during non-peek hours, and read cook-books. 
6.)  Shared my experiences with others.
7.)  I took every opportunity to turn this into a way of expanding what I enjoyed consuming.  Even if in the past, I didn't like it, I tried it again.
8.)  I did not diet while I did this.  That's too many things at once.
9.)  Did I say plan.  The only way to make sure you are not miserable is to have portable snacks, plan your meals, and to plan to try new things. 
10.)  When I ate out, I ate ethnic.  Indian, Thai, (one vegan friendly Vietnamese place) and Chinese restaurants are generally vegan friendly.  I found that some Japanese restaurants were both friendly and if asked the chef was happy to make fantastic and varied _yasai maki sushi_  or _shojin ryori_ (I think).  _Shabu shabu_ can also be vegan.  Mongolian hot-pot cooking can be made vegan, and the one place I tried had around 80 vegetable and mushroom based things to try. ... But I digress
11.)  Don't panic.
12.)  Plan
13.)  I was a good self-advocate.14.)  Don't set an absolute date to end it.  Let it end after a date when it does.15.)  Don't "meat out" before the month off.  What's the point of that. 16.)  Don't beleave everything you hear, read, or experence.

Lessons & tips: Plan out your meals.Be a good self advocate!
Don't be annoying or preachy.
I don't think one can call one's self a vegan if one plans to do it only a month- so, don't call yourself a vegan.  
Take a look at all the arguments pro and con from everything to the animal and energy ethics to dietary benefits and problems.
Be respectful of others opinions.

Don't give up.

*One myth to bust.  Your body doesn’t "forget" how to digest dairy, meat protein, etc... You don't have to worry about easing yourself into omnivory again.*

Resources: Chandra Moskowitz- get the cook books. 

Sep 12, 2008, 09:11PM PDT | 2 comments | 5 cheers