Quote Originally Posted by tofu View Post
Even if you don't go 100% vegan, bear in mind that dairy (esp. cheese, which I had to give up entirely and it's easier than you think) can add calories very quicky, and is really unnessary.
It would not be easy at all for me to give up dairy. I love cheese and it most definitely is not unnecessary to me. However I buy 2% milk or skim milk versions of most of the dairy products that I buy, which reduces the fat content but still leaves the taste and texture that I like.

In terms of whether to choose vegan or vegetarian, Lynette, I would say that for your purposes it doesn't have to be either/or. You could decide to be mostly vegan, but still have a couple of dairy products, like yogurt made from skim milk, if you really like them. Or you could start out vegetarian and then try the switch to vegan after a few weeks or a month or whatever. Or, to address Susan's point, you could be vegan at home but not when you're eating out. Because I think it's important for you to make changes that you're happy with and that you feel you could live with long-term.

Good luck!