I tried eating vegan 17 years ago, in response to reading John Robbins'Diet For a New America. That first attempt didn't go so well, for reasons I'll explain in my diary below.
I tend to run very lean and underweight, and my longstanding fear of cutting out meat & dairy was that I'd become even skinnier and weaker. Indeed, that was what happened the time before, so I wrote it off. But in researching treatments and cures for various digestive and sinus issues, the recommendation to cut down on animal products (or cut them out altogether) kept popping up in front of me.
At the same time, I finally read Fast Food Nation* recently and it prompted me to want to give this another try, fortified with all kinds of new and good information. (*For those who might say our food choices have nothing to do with politics, I say read that book!) And I have to say, so far -- WOW. I feel great.
If you are eating a vegetarian or vegan diet for health or other reasons, and if it is working well for you, I'd welcome your tips and advice in the comments. Thanks!