What's something that you get really sick and tired of having to explain to people?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

Is that vegan? I think saying "mostly vegan" would probably be less confusing. I am a lifelong vegetarian who works in animal welfare and I never ever hear anyone describe their diet as WFPB and would actually have zero idea of what it means if you said it to me. So yeah I'd ask!

I've been vegan for 20 years - I have never heard that term before either. Does it make you more special because you HAVE to explain your diet to literally everyone??

I always assume whole food meant no processed food. You can certainly be vegan and eat processed meat analogs, so assume WFPB posters does not.

I wish WFPB poster would come back and explain.

People understand "vegan." Adding "I only eat whole foods" might come in handy if you're asked why you are declining to eat a Boca Burger. But what exactly is the point of telling people "my diet is whole foods plant based" if nobody knows what that means? And why would she deny being vegan if she only eats plant based foods. It's like she's just trying hard to be confusing.

People often don't understand vegan, but that's beside the point. I don't understand what's so confusing about WFPB diets. I love meat. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I can grasp the concept of both whole foods (minimally processed, few ingredients, natural) and plant based (sourced from plants rather than animals). Most vegans and vegetarians I know aren't eating processed meat substitutes. They are avoiding meat, not looking to find some frankensteined meat substitute. Most of the vegans I know eat WFPB diets, but it's the PB part that makes them vegan. The WF part is an add on. Also, most vegans I know are pretty devoted to avoiding animal products, including leather products and honey, and it extends beyond food into cosmetics and all facets of life where it's possible to control if animals were involved. Anyway, I don't know if WFPB diet folks who describe themselves that way rather than vegan are devoted to avoiding all animal products or if it's only diet. I guess that would be a personal decision.

Can you say "I'm mostly vegan and avoid processed foods" then, instead of WFPB? Or "I am mostly vegan, and avoid processed foods - we call that WFPB"?

I work in comms and am always telling people that you have to avoid jargon and acronyms if you want people to actually know what you're talking about. A diet like this isn't self-explanatory or common enough not to need some explanation - and if maybe one day it will be, today it's not. If you don't want to explain - the premise of this thread - it seems like there are easier ways to let people know why you're eating what you're eating, or not eating what you're not eating, than using a confusing acronym.

The diet does sound healthy! It's just not common enough (yet) to be able to say it without some explanation. Like keto was 20-something years ago. I remember when my first friend did keto and we had this long conversation about it at a party because it was new - now you hear someone's keto and you don't need any explanation. Maybe WFPB will be like that at some point but it's not now.

How do people not know what whole food means? Or plant based? If someone is too dumb to think about what those two pairs of words mean, I doubt they’d understand vegan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not so much explaining but I’m from a different European country and every time someone hears me speak of the first time they tell me how they lived their in college, were based there in the army, have an Aunt who lives there etc etc……. I have to listen to be polite but I just don’t care…..

Haha yes that’s my experience as well.
Where are you from? A: small town you never heard before, near this big city you may have heard.
Generally followed about that story you added.

I know it’s form of welcoming and considerate attempt to make a connection.
Intellectually l appreciate it, but emotionally my reaction is “here we go again” 🤣

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

OMG - then just say you are vegan. No one will care.

Here's mine: being the head of a community volunteer group does NOT mean you get paid

I haven’t found a good way to describe my position of “volunteer- volunteer coordinator” …
Volunteer^2 coordinator won’t do…but truly people assume l am available all day but l have my other “paying job” and a family too 😭

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

Is that vegan? I think saying "mostly vegan" would probably be less confusing. I am a lifelong vegetarian who works in animal welfare and I never ever hear anyone describe their diet as WFPB and would actually have zero idea of what it means if you said it to me. So yeah I'd ask!

I've been vegan for 20 years - I have never heard that term before either. Does it make you more special because you HAVE to explain your diet to literally everyone??

I always assume whole food meant no processed food. You can certainly be vegan and eat processed meat analogs, so assume WFPB posters does not.

I wish WFPB poster would come back and explain.

People understand "vegan." Adding "I only eat whole foods" might come in handy if you're asked why you are declining to eat a Boca Burger. But what exactly is the point of telling people "my diet is whole foods plant based" if nobody knows what that means? And why would she deny being vegan if she only eats plant based foods. It's like she's just trying hard to be confusing.

People often don't understand vegan, but that's beside the point. I don't understand what's so confusing about WFPB diets. I love meat. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I can grasp the concept of both whole foods (minimally processed, few ingredients, natural) and plant based (sourced from plants rather than animals). Most vegans and vegetarians I know aren't eating processed meat substitutes. They are avoiding meat, not looking to find some frankensteined meat substitute. Most of the vegans I know eat WFPB diets, but it's the PB part that makes them vegan. The WF part is an add on. Also, most vegans I know are pretty devoted to avoiding animal products, including leather products and honey, and it extends beyond food into cosmetics and all facets of life where it's possible to control if animals were involved. Anyway, I don't know if WFPB diet folks who describe themselves that way rather than vegan are devoted to avoiding all animal products or if it's only diet. I guess that would be a personal decision.

Can you say "I'm mostly vegan and avoid processed foods" then, instead of WFPB? Or "I am mostly vegan, and avoid processed foods - we call that WFPB"?

I work in comms and am always telling people that you have to avoid jargon and acronyms if you want people to actually know what you're talking about. A diet like this isn't self-explanatory or common enough not to need some explanation - and if maybe one day it will be, today it's not. If you don't want to explain - the premise of this thread - it seems like there are easier ways to let people know why you're eating what you're eating, or not eating what you're not eating, than using a confusing acronym.

The diet does sound healthy! It's just not common enough (yet) to be able to say it without some explanation. Like keto was 20-something years ago. I remember when my first friend did keto and we had this long conversation about it at a party because it was new - now you hear someone's keto and you don't need any explanation. Maybe WFPB will be like that at some point but it's not now.

How do people not know what whole food means? Or plant based? If someone is too dumb to think about what those two pairs of words mean, I doubt they’d understand vegan.

Then just say "I don't eat meat or processed foods" if you truly believe that vegan is just as confusing to regular people as WFPB. I think you're wrong, but give it a try. Or don't! I don't care. You just can't be surprised when people ask you for an explanation.

Part of the issue is that no one knows if saying you're "plant based" means that you never eat meat or you mostly don't eat meat - or what it means re: dairy or eggs. I also really truly don't know what people mean when they say they eat whole foods, just like I genuinely don't know what people mean when they say they eat "clean" food other than that they're probably trying to lose weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

Is that vegan? I think saying "mostly vegan" would probably be less confusing. I am a lifelong vegetarian who works in animal welfare and I never ever hear anyone describe their diet as WFPB and would actually have zero idea of what it means if you said it to me. So yeah I'd ask!

I've been vegan for 20 years - I have never heard that term before either. Does it make you more special because you HAVE to explain your diet to literally everyone??

I always assume whole food meant no processed food. You can certainly be vegan and eat processed meat analogs, so assume WFPB posters does not.

I wish WFPB poster would come back and explain.

People understand "vegan." Adding "I only eat whole foods" might come in handy if you're asked why you are declining to eat a Boca Burger. But what exactly is the point of telling people "my diet is whole foods plant based" if nobody knows what that means? And why would she deny being vegan if she only eats plant based foods. It's like she's just trying hard to be confusing.

People often don't understand vegan, but that's beside the point. I don't understand what's so confusing about WFPB diets. I love meat. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I can grasp the concept of both whole foods (minimally processed, few ingredients, natural) and plant based (sourced from plants rather than animals). Most vegans and vegetarians I know aren't eating processed meat substitutes. They are avoiding meat, not looking to find some frankensteined meat substitute. Most of the vegans I know eat WFPB diets, but it's the PB part that makes them vegan. The WF part is an add on. Also, most vegans I know are pretty devoted to avoiding animal products, including leather products and honey, and it extends beyond food into cosmetics and all facets of life where it's possible to control if animals were involved. Anyway, I don't know if WFPB diet folks who describe themselves that way rather than vegan are devoted to avoiding all animal products or if it's only diet. I guess that would be a personal decision.

Can you say "I'm mostly vegan and avoid processed foods" then, instead of WFPB? Or "I am mostly vegan, and avoid processed foods - we call that WFPB"?

I work in comms and am always telling people that you have to avoid jargon and acronyms if you want people to actually know what you're talking about. A diet like this isn't self-explanatory or common enough not to need some explanation - and if maybe one day it will be, today it's not. If you don't want to explain - the premise of this thread - it seems like there are easier ways to let people know why you're eating what you're eating, or not eating what you're not eating, than using a confusing acronym.

The diet does sound healthy! It's just not common enough (yet) to be able to say it without some explanation. Like keto was 20-something years ago. I remember when my first friend did keto and we had this long conversation about it at a party because it was new - now you hear someone's keto and you don't need any explanation. Maybe WFPB will be like that at some point but it's not now.

How do people not know what whole food means? Or plant based? If someone is too dumb to think about what those two pairs of words mean, I doubt they’d understand vegan.

The poster who said wfpb also said she's not vegetarian. (She's been silent on whether she's a vegan). So that's pretty confounding to begin with. But to answer your question, see pp's post directly above yours, the one you're responding to. It answers your question quite clearly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, I feel like I always have to explain to people that natural intelligence matters more than SES when it comes to being successful.

Clicked on this thread to say exactly the opposite. The people who are most successful in business and law are not necessarily the smartest. Those with innate genius-level intelligence may not be able to parlay it into being successful.

Completely agree. Intelligence has very little to do with it. Connections, opportunities, and sometimes willing to lay down your values factor in as well.

Agree w these posters, but who are you actually explaining this to? I don't think it would come up as a topic of conversation except with my kids.

I would also add that if you're an introvert with few valuable connections and are not good at selling and self-advocating, these may not be great fields for you, or at least not a law firm environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AntiFa is a compliment. To not be antifa means you worship Hitler. GOP followers are such idiots.

Antifa the group is much different from what anti-fascist actually means.

There’s isn’t a group though.

[Anonymous]

Why “Happy Holidays from the Brown’s” is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

Is that vegan? I think saying "mostly vegan" would probably be less confusing. I am a lifelong vegetarian who works in animal welfare and I never ever hear anyone describe their diet as WFPB and would actually have zero idea of what it means if you said it to me. So yeah I'd ask!

I've been vegan for 20 years - I have never heard that term before either. Does it make you more special because you HAVE to explain your diet to literally everyone??

I always assume whole food meant no processed food. You can certainly be vegan and eat processed meat analogs, so assume WFPB posters does not.

I wish WFPB poster would come back and explain.

People understand "vegan." Adding "I only eat whole foods" might come in handy if you're asked why you are declining to eat a Boca Burger. But what exactly is the point of telling people "my diet is whole foods plant based" if nobody knows what that means? And why would she deny being vegan if she only eats plant based foods. It's like she's just trying hard to be confusing.

People often don't understand vegan, but that's beside the point. I don't understand what's so confusing about WFPB diets. I love meat. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I can grasp the concept of both whole foods (minimally processed, few ingredients, natural) and plant based (sourced from plants rather than animals). Most vegans and vegetarians I know aren't eating processed meat substitutes. They are avoiding meat, not looking to find some frankensteined meat substitute. Most of the vegans I know eat WFPB diets, but it's the PB part that makes them vegan. The WF part is an add on. Also, most vegans I know are pretty devoted to avoiding animal products, including leather products and honey, and it extends beyond food into cosmetics and all facets of life where it's possible to control if animals were involved. Anyway, I don't know if WFPB diet folks who describe themselves that way rather than vegan are devoted to avoiding all animal products or if it's only diet. I guess that would be a personal decision.

Can you say "I'm mostly vegan and avoid processed foods" then, instead of WFPB? Or "I am mostly vegan, and avoid processed foods - we call that WFPB"?

I work in comms and am always telling people that you have to avoid jargon and acronyms if you want people to actually know what you're talking about. A diet like this isn't self-explanatory or common enough not to need some explanation - and if maybe one day it will be, today it's not. If you don't want to explain - the premise of this thread - it seems like there are easier ways to let people know why you're eating what you're eating, or not eating what you're not eating, than using a confusing acronym.

The diet does sound healthy! It's just not common enough (yet) to be able to say it without some explanation. Like keto was 20-something years ago. I remember when my first friend did keto and we had this long conversation about it at a party because it was new - now you hear someone's keto and you don't need any explanation. Maybe WFPB will be like that at some point but it's not now.

How do people not know what whole food means? Or plant based? If someone is too dumb to think about what those two pairs of words mean, I doubt they’d understand vegan.

Whole food? We can understand in some instances, like eating brown rice because it contains the whole kernel of rice. But with other foods, it isn't necessary as obvious as you think it is. Do you not eat nuts because you are only eating the flesh of the nut, but not the shell? We get that you eat root vegetables with the skin, but do you not eat pitted fruits because eating the flesh is not the whole fruit? Do you only eat whole eggs, but not egg whites? So meringue is right out? Do you eat vegetables where you only eat a part of the plant, but discard the rest? So you don't eat artichokes and you don't eat any plant that you don't eat the stalk, leaves, fruit and seeds?

Another issue with stupid names like these is that for every fad diet and eating program, there are as many variations as there are people eating it. Everyone starts with a diet and then tailors it to what they eat, their likes and dislikes and their allergies and food reactions. So, one person eating Keto will not necessarily eat the same things that another person eating Keto will. So, even if we have met one person eating WFPB, that doesn't mean that that will translate to another person on the same diet.

Communication is a two-way street. Not only is it important for the audience to understand the message, but it is also important for the person sending the message to be able convey concepts in terms that the audience will understand. Using jargon and technical language that only a small subset of people use, is fine when you are talking about people in the know, but not when you are talking to the general public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

Is that vegan? I think saying "mostly vegan" would probably be less confusing. I am a lifelong vegetarian who works in animal welfare and I never ever hear anyone describe their diet as WFPB and would actually have zero idea of what it means if you said it to me. So yeah I'd ask!

I've been vegan for 20 years - I have never heard that term before either. Does it make you more special because you HAVE to explain your diet to literally everyone??

I always assume whole food meant no processed food. You can certainly be vegan and eat processed meat analogs, so assume WFPB posters does not.

I wish WFPB poster would come back and explain.

People understand "vegan." Adding "I only eat whole foods" might come in handy if you're asked why you are declining to eat a Boca Burger. But what exactly is the point of telling people "my diet is whole foods plant based" if nobody knows what that means? And why would she deny being vegan if she only eats plant based foods. It's like she's just trying hard to be confusing.

People often don't understand vegan, but that's beside the point. I don't understand what's so confusing about WFPB diets. I love meat. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I can grasp the concept of both whole foods (minimally processed, few ingredients, natural) and plant based (sourced from plants rather than animals). Most vegans and vegetarians I know aren't eating processed meat substitutes. They are avoiding meat, not looking to find some frankensteined meat substitute. Most of the vegans I know eat WFPB diets, but it's the PB part that makes them vegan. The WF part is an add on. Also, most vegans I know are pretty devoted to avoiding animal products, including leather products and honey, and it extends beyond food into cosmetics and all facets of life where it's possible to control if animals were involved. Anyway, I don't know if WFPB diet folks who describe themselves that way rather than vegan are devoted to avoiding all animal products or if it's only diet. I guess that would be a personal decision.

Can you say "I'm mostly vegan and avoid processed foods" then, instead of WFPB? Or "I am mostly vegan, and avoid processed foods - we call that WFPB"?

I work in comms and am always telling people that you have to avoid jargon and acronyms if you want people to actually know what you're talking about. A diet like this isn't self-explanatory or common enough not to need some explanation - and if maybe one day it will be, today it's not. If you don't want to explain - the premise of this thread - it seems like there are easier ways to let people know why you're eating what you're eating, or not eating what you're not eating, than using a confusing acronym.

The diet does sound healthy! It's just not common enough (yet) to be able to say it without some explanation. Like keto was 20-something years ago. I remember when my first friend did keto and we had this long conversation about it at a party because it was new - now you hear someone's keto and you don't need any explanation. Maybe WFPB will be like that at some point but it's not now.

How do people not know what whole food means? Or plant based? If someone is too dumb to think about what those two pairs of words mean, I doubt they’d understand vegan.

Whole food? We can understand in some instances, like eating brown rice because it contains the whole kernel of rice. But with other foods, it isn't necessary as obvious as you think it is. Do you not eat nuts because you are only eating the flesh of the nut, but not the shell? We get that you eat root vegetables with the skin, but do you not eat pitted fruits because eating the flesh is not the whole fruit? Do you only eat whole eggs, but not egg whites? So meringue is right out? Do you eat vegetables where you only eat a part of the plant, but discard the rest? So you don't eat artichokes and you don't eat any plant that you don't eat the stalk, leaves, fruit and seeds?

Another issue with stupid names like these is that for every fad diet and eating program, there are as many variations as there are people eating it. Everyone starts with a diet and then tailors it to what they eat, their likes and dislikes and their allergies and food reactions. So, one person eating Keto will not necessarily eat the same things that another person eating Keto will. So, even if we have met one person eating WFPB, that doesn't mean that that will translate to another person on the same diet.

Communication is a two-way street. Not only is it important for the audience to understand the message, but it is also important for the person sending the message to be able convey concepts in terms that the audience will understand. Using jargon and technical language that only a small subset of people use, is fine when you are talking about people in the know, but not when you are talking to the general public.

This made me lol. There's no explaining to someone like you. I mean that in a good way. You come up with fine nuances!

[Anonymous]

That even though I have been a full time Federal employee for 26 years, I am not eligible for a pension.

(People, including on DCUM, argue with me that I must be wrong. Like I don't know my own retirement benefits.)

As an administratively determined professional (not a GS or SES employee), what they were offering when I started my job (way back in 1997) was a 403B retirement plan (where we both contribute to either TIAA CREF or Fidelity). There is no Federally funded pension plan in my future. My family also keeps forgetting this. It is annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

Is that vegan? I think saying "mostly vegan" would probably be less confusing. I am a lifelong vegetarian who works in animal welfare and I never ever hear anyone describe their diet as WFPB and would actually have zero idea of what it means if you said it to me. So yeah I'd ask!

I've been vegan for 20 years - I have never heard that term before either. Does it make you more special because you HAVE to explain your diet to literally everyone??

I always assume whole food meant no processed food. You can certainly be vegan and eat processed meat analogs, so assume WFPB posters does not.

I wish WFPB poster would come back and explain.

People understand "vegan." Adding "I only eat whole foods" might come in handy if you're asked why you are declining to eat a Boca Burger. But what exactly is the point of telling people "my diet is whole foods plant based" if nobody knows what that means? And why would she deny being vegan if she only eats plant based foods. It's like she's just trying hard to be confusing.

People often don't understand vegan, but that's beside the point. I don't understand what's so confusing about WFPB diets. I love meat. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I can grasp the concept of both whole foods (minimally processed, few ingredients, natural) and plant based (sourced from plants rather than animals). Most vegans and vegetarians I know aren't eating processed meat substitutes. They are avoiding meat, not looking to find some frankensteined meat substitute. Most of the vegans I know eat WFPB diets, but it's the PB part that makes them vegan. The WF part is an add on. Also, most vegans I know are pretty devoted to avoiding animal products, including leather products and honey, and it extends beyond food into cosmetics and all facets of life where it's possible to control if animals were involved. Anyway, I don't know if WFPB diet folks who describe themselves that way rather than vegan are devoted to avoiding all animal products or if it's only diet. I guess that would be a personal decision.

Can you say "I'm mostly vegan and avoid processed foods" then, instead of WFPB? Or "I am mostly vegan, and avoid processed foods - we call that WFPB"?

I work in comms and am always telling people that you have to avoid jargon and acronyms if you want people to actually know what you're talking about. A diet like this isn't self-explanatory or common enough not to need some explanation - and if maybe one day it will be, today it's not. If you don't want to explain - the premise of this thread - it seems like there are easier ways to let people know why you're eating what you're eating, or not eating what you're not eating, than using a confusing acronym.

The diet does sound healthy! It's just not common enough (yet) to be able to say it without some explanation. Like keto was 20-something years ago. I remember when my first friend did keto and we had this long conversation about it at a party because it was new - now you hear someone's keto and you don't need any explanation. Maybe WFPB will be like that at some point but it's not now.

How do people not know what whole food means? Or plant based? If someone is too dumb to think about what those two pairs of words mean, I doubt they’d understand vegan.

Then just say "I don't eat meat or processed foods" if you truly believe that vegan is just as confusing to regular people as WFPB. I think you're wrong, but give it a try. Or don't! I don't care. You just can't be surprised when people ask you for an explanation.

Part of the issue is that no one knows if saying you're "plant based" means that you never eat meat or you mostly don't eat meat - or what it means re: dairy or eggs. I also really truly don't know what people mean when they say they eat whole foods, just like I genuinely don't know what people mean when they say they eat "clean" food other than that they're probably trying to lose weight.

I eat meat. I’m not trying to say this about myself. I’m confused as to how people find this to be difficult. Plant based means it comes from plants. Do eggs and dairy come from plants? If yes, then they’re good. If no, it’s not WFPB. Whole Foods is what it implies-as close to the natural state of the food as possible with minimal processing (like eating an apple rather than cooking it and mashing it into applesauce). It’s also a form of clean eating. It’s not generally about losing weight. It’s about being healthy.

I guess I also find it confusing how you’re having a conversation where someone is explaining the concepts, and you’re still saying you don’t know what it means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

Is that vegan? I think saying "mostly vegan" would probably be less confusing. I am a lifelong vegetarian who works in animal welfare and I never ever hear anyone describe their diet as WFPB and would actually have zero idea of what it means if you said it to me. So yeah I'd ask!

I've been vegan for 20 years - I have never heard that term before either. Does it make you more special because you HAVE to explain your diet to literally everyone??

NP. This is a good one. I think WFPB (which I'm trying to do-- aren't we all if we aren't already Veg/Vegan?) should not explain. Recently grabbed salad choices with colleagues and avoided the chicken salad (yuck) and a few other things, and one asked - "do you not eat meat"? Rather than going into plant based eating (and I DO eat meat sometimes), I just said "oh I eat everything but I'm really loading up on my veggies today". EASY ANSWER! I didn't have to explain anything. Maybe we can all try that!

What does the term actually mean?

White Fragile Picky Bunch.

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Anonymous wrote:Where do I get my protein?

So annoying! Educate yourself before asking something so ridiculous.
I am not protein deficient now nor have I ever been in the 7 years that I have been eating WFPB. In fact, I can actually strength train and grow my muscles substantially(mind-blown).

If you called yourself a vegetarian instead of “WFPB” people may understand better.

PP. But I'm NOT vegetarian. I don't eat dairy or eggs. Whole Food Plant Based is the only way to describe how I eat.

Is that vegan? I think saying "mostly vegan" would probably be less confusing. I am a lifelong vegetarian who works in animal welfare and I never ever hear anyone describe their diet as WFPB and would actually have zero idea of what it means if you said it to me. So yeah I'd ask!

I've been vegan for 20 years - I have never heard that term before either. Does it make you more special because you HAVE to explain your diet to literally everyone??

I always assume whole food meant no processed food. You can certainly be vegan and eat processed meat analogs, so assume WFPB posters does not.

I wish WFPB poster would come back and explain.

People understand "vegan." Adding "I only eat whole foods" might come in handy if you're asked why you are declining to eat a Boca Burger. But what exactly is the point of telling people "my diet is whole foods plant based" if nobody knows what that means? And why would she deny being vegan if she only eats plant based foods. It's like she's just trying hard to be confusing.

People often don't understand vegan, but that's beside the point. I don't understand what's so confusing about WFPB diets. I love meat. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I can grasp the concept of both whole foods (minimally processed, few ingredients, natural) and plant based (sourced from plants rather than animals). Most vegans and vegetarians I know aren't eating processed meat substitutes. They are avoiding meat, not looking to find some frankensteined meat substitute. Most of the vegans I know eat WFPB diets, but it's the PB part that makes them vegan. The WF part is an add on. Also, most vegans I know are pretty devoted to avoiding animal products, including leather products and honey, and it extends beyond food into cosmetics and all facets of life where it's possible to control if animals were involved. Anyway, I don't know if WFPB diet folks who describe themselves that way rather than vegan are devoted to avoiding all animal products or if it's only diet. I guess that would be a personal decision.

Can you say "I'm mostly vegan and avoid processed foods" then, instead of WFPB? Or "I am mostly vegan, and avoid processed foods - we call that WFPB"?

I work in comms and am always telling people that you have to avoid jargon and acronyms if you want people to actually know what you're talking about. A diet like this isn't self-explanatory or common enough not to need some explanation - and if maybe one day it will be, today it's not. If you don't want to explain - the premise of this thread - it seems like there are easier ways to let people know why you're eating what you're eating, or not eating what you're not eating, than using a confusing acronym.

The diet does sound healthy! It's just not common enough (yet) to be able to say it without some explanation. Like keto was 20-something years ago. I remember when my first friend did keto and we had this long conversation about it at a party because it was new - now you hear someone's keto and you don't need any explanation. Maybe WFPB will be like that at some point but it's not now.

How do people not know what whole food means? Or plant based? If someone is too dumb to think about what those two pairs of words mean, I doubt they’d understand vegan.

Whole food? We can understand in some instances, like eating brown rice because it contains the whole kernel of rice. But with other foods, it isn't necessary as obvious as you think it is. Do you not eat nuts because you are only eating the flesh of the nut, but not the shell? We get that you eat root vegetables with the skin, but do you not eat pitted fruits because eating the flesh is not the whole fruit? Do you only eat whole eggs, but not egg whites? So meringue is right out? Do you eat vegetables where you only eat a part of the plant, but discard the rest? So you don't eat artichokes and you don't eat any plant that you don't eat the stalk, leaves, fruit and seeds?

Another issue with stupid names like these is that for every fad diet and eating program, there are as many variations as there are people eating it. Everyone starts with a diet and then tailors it to what they eat, their likes and dislikes and their allergies and food reactions. So, one person eating Keto will not necessarily eat the same things that another person eating Keto will. So, even if we have met one person eating WFPB, that doesn't mean that that will translate to another person on the same diet.

Communication is a two-way street. Not only is it important for the audience to understand the message, but it is also important for the person sending the message to be able convey concepts in terms that the audience will understand. Using jargon and technical language that only a small subset of people use, is fine when you are talking about people in the know, but not when you are talking to the general public.

This made me lol. There's no explaining to someone like you. I mean that in a good way. You come up with fine nuances!

NP, sure it's explainable... but the PP is right that people oversimplify. Sometimes all it takes is a simple softening of language... instead of saying "Oh, it means I ONLY eat Whole Foods Plant-Based" just say something like "it means I generally eat whole foods that are plant-based". Nuance problem solved, and there's leeway for each person's interpretation of which edge cases are ok/not-ok for them, since you aren't going to have consensus on that.

[Anonymous]

Japan was extremely bad before and during WW2. They are not the victims bexaue they got nuked.

It's remarkable how horrendous western education is on the war in the Pacific and the evils of the Imperial Japanese. They were worse than the Nazis, yet for some reason they escape the same kind of criticisms as Nazi Germany. It's kinda remarkable, because all US education ever focuses on is the war in Europe during WW2 even though the US played a much more significant role in defeating the Japanese than Germany. So many people do not realize the Japanese were worse than the Nazis and have some kind of 'kawaii'/anime/idyllic culture stuck in their brain about the Japanese. The most people and kids often know about Japan is they they were 'bad' and that's about it. Maybe some know about the Rape of Nanking and the occupation of Korea for 30+ years and the horrors of the Korean comfort women, but Japan's crimes far, far, far exceed those and are horrific everywhere. Nearly as many Chinese died due to the Japanese as the numbers of Russians that died due to the Germans.