“Wait… You’re Vegan?!”

The conversation usually starts exactly like this

It’s funny how these conversations usually start. I’ll run into someone I haven’t seen in years and they’ll ask what I do now. And I say:

“I’m basically a full-time content creator now. Recipes, videos, cooking classes, newsletters, community stuff…”

And then of course food eventually comes up. Plant-based food. The V word. Which is usually followed immediately by:

“Wait… you’re vegan?! Why?!”

And honestly? I never quite know how to answer that in one sentence. Because the truth is… it wasn’t just one thing.

Back in 2008, I wasn’t trying to become “that vegan guy.”

• I wasn’t trying to save the world…

• I wasn’t trying to become an influencer…

• And I definitely wasn’t planning on making tofu videos on the internet 🤣

I was just trying to feel better!

At the time, my health wasn’t heading in a great direction. I was seriously overweight, my BP was through the roof, I was exhausted all the time, and honestly just felt older than I should have felt.

And somewhere along the way, I stumbled across the idea that maybe food mattered more than I realized.

So I tried it, and trust me - I was NOT perfect!

And OF COURSE it would happen that on those nights I worked graveyard and didn’t plan my meals I would find myself at a Burger King drive-thru before they closed ….

And OF COURSE that would be the night when one of my work buddies would be in line behind me laughing his *** off at this wannabe vegan.

“Hey Chuck! How’s that vegan thing coming along 🤣”

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But eventually I got the hang of it and just started changing a few little things.

• More beans

• More potatoes

• More rice

• More vegetables

• Less of the heavy processed stuff that always left me feeling like 💩 all night.

And something weird happened. I actually started feeling better.

More energy
Better sleep
Better labs
Less weight
Less feeling like I needed a nap every afternoon just to survive the day

But here’s the part I didn’t expect:

I learned the food could actually taste GOOD. That was the game changer. Because most people hear “vegan” and imagine sad salads and weird hippie food.

Meanwhile I’m over here making chili, tacos, burgers, fried rice, pasta, nachos, soups, mashed potatoes, noodle bowls, and comfort food that honestly feels more satisfying than a lot of the stuff I used to eat before.

That’s the part nobody tells you.

• Plant-based eating doesn’t have to feel restrictive

• It doesn’t have to feel extreme

• And it definitely doesn’t have to feel miserable

For me, it slowly became less about “dieting” and more about building a way of eating that actually made me feel good without feeling deprived.

And after 17 years? It’s just normal life now.

I still like comfort food
I still love flavor
I still want easy meals after a long day

I’ve just learned how to make those meals in a way that leaves me feeling better afterward. Honestly, that’s probably the simplest answer to the question.

“Why are you vegan?”

Because somewhere along the way…
I realized I felt better this way.

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