veganism works in the us easily due to availability of substitutes. in pakistan not so well unless u want to eat dal everyday!

Hmm another tip is to try and find substitutes for a food before you cut it out entirely, so you're not left wondering "now what CAN I eat??" :) I started added soy to my diet about 6 months before I cut out dairy entirely, and this made it a lot easier. And I tend to be a "cold turkey" person, so maybe a longer or shorter period would be good as we're all different :) Like with eggs, I stopped them right away when I stopped meat, but I didn't mind because I was never a huge egg or meat fan. Cheese, however, I had to work myself up to getting rid of...and I'd also say go easy on yourself, I got rid of the obvious things and then got rid of more and more things over time as I got more skilled in my label reading :) But, the simpler the food, the better it likely is for you :)

Yes I agree Talib, planning ahead makes it a lot easier. That's the best way to go. I found that during school, I lived far from the "ideal" vegan lifestyle you describe. I just wasn't that organized with my food, so here are my "fast and convenient tips," tried and true through three years of University and one year of "the real world": always keep a couple of energy bars in your bag just in case you get stuck somewhere, always check the menu of whereever you are going with friends to eat, and if it's not clearly vegan-friendly, eat before so you're OK with salad!, a really tasty fast meal is instant couscous and rinsed canned lupini beans, another one is refried beans heated and mixed with salsa as a dip for pita bread, another one is spaghetti and "neatballs", another one is canned baked beans (in tomato sauce) and toast :) Hope that didn't make me sound too disorganized!!! Trust me, we all have those days when there's 10 minutes to cook, and these can pull it off :) You have to add some raw veggies or salad though too :)

I have found it very helpful to make my food ahead of time. I bought a couple of good cookbooks and make a lot of food at the beginning of the week. Then, I have food for work, snacks, lunch, and dinner. This is good because there are not many vegan choices outside and I am assuring that what I am eating is not only good for me and halal, but that I know exactly what went into it. So, if I can give any advice it would be to plan ahead.