With celebrities such as Beyoncé, Russell Brand and Ellen DeGeneres leading the way, more and more of us are opening up to the possibility of leading a vegan lifestyle.

Over one in ten of us in the UK claim to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, and Deliciously Ella's vegan cookbook was the fastest selling ever last year, so this trend shows no sign of going away.

Veganuary (vee-gan-uary) is an awareness month asking the vegan-curious to remove all animal products and by-products from their diet throughout January. Last year more than 12,000 people took part in Veganuary, and organisers are aiming to sign up 50,000 participants for 2016.

Writer Joanne Gould, 30, from London, is taking part for FEMAIL. Here she reports on her progress so far…

Joanne Gould decided to go vegan for January, joining as many as 12,000 others who do the same. Here, she reports on her progress

WEEK ONE

I've been disgustingly gluttonous over Christmas - well, most of December actually - and a health consultation at Champneys Health Resort in Tring, Hertfordshire, confirms that I've accumulated an extra 10lbs or so of cheese and booze weight.

Upsetting, but not surprising. My blood pressure, though in the healthy range, is also higher than normal, as is my pulse at 66.

Considering I'm normally pretty healthy and exercise regularly, this is quite a shock and shows what a month of bad habits can do.

The Champneys InBody scanner (a daunting piece of kit with metal handgrips that takes your reading) tells me my protein and mineral levels are normal, but my fat levels are too high.

As I tend to follow a high protein, high good fat and low carb diet, I expect this. I'm pleased to see that my muscle mass is good though, and after a quick chat with a Champneys nutritionist about how to eat healthily throughout my Veganuary challenge, I'm raring to go.

MONDAY

Joanne starts Veganuary with a juice fast to shock her system and get rid of some festive weight

I decide to throw myself into Veganuary starting with a juice fast to shock my system and get rid of some of the festive weight sharpish.

I've chosen The Healthy Juice Company as they are completely vegan and prepare cold pressed fresh juices delivered to your door at 6am each day.

To start, there's an unappetising yellowish drink of coconut oil, turmeric and lemon which you mix into hot water. It looks kind of curdled and tastes it too, but I knock it back.

The rest of the day is filled with five more colourful juices packed with things like chlorella, kale, berries and nuts, which all taste great and are surprisingly filling.

I'm not tempted to cheat and eat, but by the end of the day I have a chronic headache and painkillers are banned on the juice plan. An early night beckons.

Joanne drinks an unappetising yellowish drink of coconut oil, turmeric and lemon, mixed with water, to begin

TUESDAY

I wake feeling horrendous. Everything hurts and I feel fluey. Nevertheless I have a busy day ahead and after dropping my son at nursery I get back on the juice plan.

Feeling this poorly means I have no appetite, so I don't even finish some of my day's juices. This is not an uncommon side-effect to juicing as it will often bring out whatever nasty illnesses were lingering beforehand but usually leave you feeling amazing afterwards.

I'm almost glad of my lack of appetite, as I have to make several full English breakfasts for a work project today - I'm not sure I'd have been able to resist the smell of frying bacon, sausages and hot buttered toast otherwise!

Joanne spends Tuesday feeling like she has the flu, which she thinks is the juice fast removing illness from her

WEDNESDAY

It's the last day of my juice plan and I've almost come to enjoy the weird yellow morning drink. It's designed to kick start digestion and metabolism, and it's true that I'm feeling a few pounds lighter and my stomach is a bit flatter.

Buoyed by this success (but still feeling pretty awful) I get through my day's juices easily. I particularly like the hazelnut 'mylk' lunchtime bottle, which is designed to help you feel full. Seeing as vegans shun dairy products like milk, this can only be a good thing!

To prepare for the rest of the month as a vegan I do a big food shop today and start thinking about meals to cook.

Though many ingredients are expensive as standalone items - for example coconut milk is almost double my normal organic cows milk, and yoghurt alternatives are an eye watering £2 for a tiny pot - my shopping bill comes in at about a third of what it usually would. I go to bed excited to start eating.

By the third day of the juice fast, Joanne feels lighter and her stomach is flatter - and she's enjoying the drinks

THURSDAY

Breakfast is avocado on toast with tomatoes and pomegranate molasses. It's truly delicious and I begin to think this vegan thing will be a walk in the park. Equally, my lunch of homemade potato curry with greens and a chapatti is warming, filling and tasty.

Looking on Pinterest for dinner inspiration, curry seems to be an easy and popular option. Indian diets are often vegetarian, so there are no sacrifices to be made here.

Despite my curry lunch, I make a big pot of butternut squash and cashew curry for dinner and it goes down very well.

The same cannot be said for my Alpro soya yoghurt on the side; it tastes weirdly sweet and vanilla-y though its supposed to be 'natural'. Ugh.

She begins her day with avocado on toast with tomatoes and pomegranate molasses

Joanne eats butternut squash and cashew currey for dinner, which she really enjoys as it's warm and filling

FRIDAY

I skip breakfast today in favour of a soya cappuccino on the hop.

As with last night's Alpro run-in, I usually find soya milk utterly repugnant, but in a cappuccino it's actually OK. I tend to drink my coffee black anyway and don't go in much for tea, thankfully.

I'm busy today and welcome the sight of a fridge filled with vegan-friendly Glorious soups for a quick lunch; the Vietnamese Supergreen tastes amazing and I treat myself to a slice of toast thinly spread with avocado to go with it.

For lunch on Friday Joanne eats some Glorious soup - she thinks the Vietnamese Supergreen is amazing

I'm going out for dinner with friends tonight and really conscious that I don't want to ruin everyone's fun by insisting we go to a vegan-friendly restaurant, but I'm also determined to stick to my challenge.

A quick google shows that chain restaurants tend to be the easiest places to find vegan food, and with several of us fancying Thai food we end up at Banana Tree.

I'm impressed that there are multiple vegan choices and enjoy spring rolls followed by a very good tofu stir fry and noodles. Some of the other girls ordered the same, even though they're not doing Veganuary!

Joanne worries about not finding vegan options while eating out, but is pleasantly surprised at Banana Tree

She enjoys vegan spring rolls at the restaurant, followed by a very good tofu stir fry and noodles

SATURDAY

The weekend calls for a treat breakfast, and I set about making a 'sausage' sandwich with Tofurky sausages. I've had these before and they taste good, so I'm looking forward to this.

The only pitfalls to look out for are condiments; luckily I'm armed with some vegan friendly ketchup.

It's easy to assume that vegan food automatically means 'healthy', but actually, these sausages are just as calorific as standard pork ones and contain lots of salt.

While Joanne likes the vegan sasusages, she remains aware that they contain a lot of fat and salt

However, the protein is leaner and denser and my husband and I are both stuffed until late afternoon as a result. At 4.30ish I snack on a couple of ryvita with avocado again.

Dinner is a huge vegan curry feast and I make tandoori tofu, which I found on Pinterest (I've never cooked tofu before but this is amazing), daal, cauliflower rice, tomato onion salad, okra and eat it all with plenty of poppadums.

Plus, I've discovered CoYO - dairy free yoghurt made from coconut, which is just divine with curry. I'm really enjoying this so far!

Joanne makes a huge vegan curry feast for Saturday night - and discovers a love of coconut yogurt

SUNDAY

I'm feeling lighter and brighter with quite a bit of energy, but I'm finding I'm much hungrier than normal.

I wasn't planning on having breakfast as we're heading out for lunch later but in the end I have to have some toast with mushrooms and tomato as I'm starving.

I don't want avocado on this toast so spread it with tahini (sesame paste) instead, and it's good.

Sunday starts with toast with mushrooms and tomato, spread with tahini (sesame paste), which Joanne likes

Joanne visits her favourite Turkish restaurant for lunch and has babaganush, stuffed vine leaves, fluffy Turkish bread, falafel and salad - all of which are vegan. She relishes the chance to explore new menu items

We're at my favourite Turkish restaurant for lunch and I thought it would be hard to resist my normal lamb kebab dish, but actually I relish the chance to eat other things on the menu.

I go for mezze style and order away: babaganush, stuffed vine leaves, fluffy Turkish bread, falafel and salads all pass the test and I'm happily full and ready for a long walk on Hampstead Heath.

Dinner, much later, is last night's leftover curry.

Dinner on Sunday is last night's leftover curry - just as good the second time around as it was the first

WEEK TWO

MONDAY

I can't get enough of the CoYo yoghurt and mix half a pot with pineapple and lots of greens for a morning Nutribullet.

Lunch is leftover daal with a puri, but I'm almost getting bored of curry now so start flicking through some of my recipe books for inspiration.

Anna Jones' A Modern Way to Cook is vegetarian but most recipes can be easily adapted for a vegan diet.

I make her Mushroom Celeriac and Bay Ragu for dinner and serve with polenta made up with veg stock and lemon zest and a cheese-free pesto. It's so warming and filling I'm asleep on the sofa by 9.30pm.

Joanne's second week of Veganary begins with a smoothie CoYo yoghurt, pineapple and lots of greens

For dinner, Joanne makes Mushroom Celeriac and Bay Ragu for dinner and serve with polenta made up with veg stock and lemon zest and a cheese-free pesto. She finds it satisfying and warming

TUESDAY

My energy is back today and after a brisk morning swim I spot a new sign in Starbucks advertising their coconut latte. I'm so pleased not to have to drink soya again and it's so creamy yet light: I'm sold.

For lunch I've got a baked sweet potato but can't for the life of me think what to fill it with. My favourites normally are tuna mayo or just cheese - both big no-no's.

Amelia Freer's new book, Cook Nourish Glow, comes to the rescue with a simple recipe for spiced pine nuts and (yessss!) coconut yoghurt. It seems pretty devoid of veg though so I pop some rocket in.

Another dinner date looms and this time I suggest Covent Garden's Wild Food Café; it's fully vegan and almost all raw to boot. My friend is a huge vegan-sceptic so this will be interesting! It's absolutely packed, so clearly I'm not the only one doing Veganuary in here.

For lunch Joanne makes a sweet potato with pine nuts and coconut yogurt, a recipe by Amelia Freer

Joanne visits Covent Garden's Wild Food Café and eats veggie burrito with cashew cream - a 'revelation'

For dessert, Joanne eats a incredibly sinful tasting chocolate hazelnut cake - which doesn't leave her too full

We share a restaurant-worthy mushroom ceviche with all sorts of clever vegan tricks - it's beautiful and tastes great. The veggie burrito with cashew cream is also a revelation to both of us.

We finish it all off with an incredibly sinful tasting chocolate hazelnut cake, which has to be tasted to be believed.

Despite being really full, there is none of the usual discomfort that sometimes comes after a big meal and definitely none of the guilt. I could get used to this.

WEDNESDAY

I've noticed I'm eating breakfast more frequently than I'm used to - I wouldn't normally have both breakfast and lunch in the week, but I'm finding I'm much hungrier in the mornings on this diet.

I fancy some granola, but this can be tricky as most brands contain honey, which is not permitted by vegans. I find a brand called Lizi's which is suitable and it's lovely with some coconut milk - lots of nuts and crunch.

Joanne begins Wednesday with some granola and coconut milk, before having Vietnamese Pho for dinner

Lunch is more daal as it's such a handy thing to make in a big batch and then just reheat as and when. Mid-afternoon I reach for a snack bar, but check myself and realise that although it looks virtuous, it uses honey to sweeten.

This is true of most healthy snack bars, but the entire Nakd range is completely vegan, so I have their Pecan Crunch to keep me going.

For dinner, I've got a recipe box from Mindful Chef. They send everything you need already weighed and portioned out for you to make easy and delicious meals; my box is a vegan friendly one and I'm impressed with how easy and quick it is to knock up their Vietnamese Pho with Tofu and Courgetti.

If you were struggling for meal inspiration, or not a great cook, this would be a good thing to do as it takes all the hassle out of cooking a nutritious dinner.

THURSDAY

It's freezing cold and pouring with rain today so I head to Brent Cross to hit the shops.

A few hours shopping on an empty stomach means that after a while the smells from food court are making my stomach rumble.

All I can think about is cheese on toast, or boiled egg with hot buttery soldiers. Neither option is OK and at home I settle for another Glorious soup - this time Singapore Tomato (lovely) - but I don't want avocado or tahini on my toast with it. I really want some butter.

A huge discovery is Tiana spreadable coconut oil, which doesn't taste coconutty and spreads like butter

Joanne knocks up an impressive aubergine and green bean massaman curry for her dinner with a friend

A quick hunt through my larder finds a jar of Tiana spreadable coconut oil that promises its not coconutty at all. And it's not – it's kind of like a margarine without the plastic taste. It has the same 'mouth feel' as butter; it'll do.

I have a friend over for dinner and knock up an impressive aubergine and green bean massaman curry thanks to a Hello Fresh recipe I find online. It can be hard to eat Thai food as a vegan as many dishes (and readymade curry pastes) contain fish sauce, which is to be avoided.

I used a Mai Siam paste from Wing Yip that is completely vegan though.

FRIDAY

Muesli is on the menu for breakfast today; this is an Alara number that is available in lots of health food shops and very nice it is too. I'm still not over my CoYo obsession, so have it with half a pot of their cherry variety.

It energises me for a long walk on the Heath again, then I come home to what Instagram seems to be calling a 'goodness bowl'. Basically a salad of black beans, tomato, freekeh, half an avocado, kale, peppers, tofu all artfully arranged.

Joanne has muesli for breakfast with half a pot of cherry coconut yogurt, which she enjoys

Joanne eats a 'goodness bowl' for lunch, made up of black beans, tomato, freekeh, half an avocado, kale and tofu

Joanne feels that the goodness bowl is incredibly nutritious, which makes her feel better about eating carbs

It feels incredibly nutritious and I feel better about the fact my dinner tonight is super carb-heavy. I've a night in by myself, and a big bowl of pasta is on the cards.

I was so surprised to find that most dried pasta is vegan friendly, as I'd assumed it contained eggs like the fresh stuff.

I have it with a homemade Puttanesca sauce, without the anchovies, and a little garlic ciabatta that I made myself by mixing the spreadable Tiana with garlic and Monday's leftover pesto.

Parmesan is a different matter though. I love the proper stuff and though lots of enthusiastic vegans on Twitter tell me there are vegan alternatives, I can't find anything.

I settle for some 'pizza cheese' by Violife, which is actually ok compared to other vegan cheeses I've tried, but it's no match for parmesan. I feel sad that dairy isn't allowed.

Joanne loves her vegan pasta but finds herself missing Parmesan - vegan cheese just doesn't taste as good

SATURDAY

There's no breakfast for me today as we're going for tapas for lunch. The menu doesn't specify whether items are vegan or otherwise and the staff are all Spanish, so it is hard to make myself understood and I chance it.

I opt for mushrooms in garlic oil, patatas bravas and some mushroom croquetas and feel pretty safe with my choice. It's only on the way home that I realise the aioli would have contained egg yolk… oops.

Still, I'm proud of myself for not even having a tiny taste of my husband's amazing looking Iberico pork platter and sizzling prawns.

For dinner we have planned a burger night. We've tried Amy's Kitchen Manhattan burgers before and loved them, plus we have some promising looking 'cheese' slices from the local health food store.

Joanne eats mushrooms in garlic oil, patatas bravas and some mushroom croquetas at a tapas lunch

Joanne eats Amy's Kitchen Manhattan burgers for Saturday dinner, with vegan mac and cheese and potatoes

Vegan mayonnaise at the ready, I serve it all up with sweet potato fries and Amy's Kitchen 'Mac'n'cheese' which my dairy-intolerant friend raves about.

It's ok - not like the current trendy rich stuff, but a close copy of the cheaper American style type. I add a few jalapenos and decent salt to pep it up and it's pretty good. I've been doing Dry January until now in an extra bid to lose weight, but cave tonight and have a vegan-friendly beer.

Alcohol is a whole other vegan minefield but I've discovered Little Valley Brewery which do a brilliant range of organic, vegan craft beers - get them in M&S.

SUNDAY

Toast for breakfast again - I don't think I've ever eaten so many carbs as I have in these last two weeks!

But, for once, I don't feel bloated from it. I have it with the Tiana spread and some proper maple syrup - a great alternative to honey for vegans.

Joanne has hummus, pita and aubergine while out shopping, which makes her husband envious of her food

We go shopping and take a break for lunch where I resist the lure of a smoked salmon bagel and opt for hummus, pita and aubergine. It's great and my husband has major food envy despite his tempting looking bagel.

I've seen lots of people making a creamy looking sauce out of butternut squash lately on Pinterest and the like, so tonight I attempt it to go with a mushroom and spinach lasagne.

It's a runaway success and I'll definitely be swapping my calorie and fat laden béchamel for this from time to time.

As a treat, I bought myself a vegan brownie from Lola's Cupcakes whilst we were shopping, so I have this with a Pukka Blackcurrant Beauty tea later on. You'd never know it was vegan and it tastes phenomenal.

Joanne makes a mushroom and spinach lasagne with a sauce made of butternut squash for a vegan twist

THE RESULTS

I'm back at Champneys to discover the results of my vegan fortnight. Their experts say that to see any real results, I'd have to continue for three to six months - by then it would be possible to see changes in vitamin levels and much more - but in fact my topline results are interesting after just two weeks.

The nurse tells me I've lost a kilo overall in weight - which is amazing, seeing as I feel I've been eating much more than normal. However, my protein levels have decreased along with this.

I've also lost lean muscle mass, with some turning to fat, which I'm horrified at! I cheer up when the nurse tells me my blood pressure is now perfect at 117/76 and my pulse has slowed to 55 - which indicates a leap in fitness levels thanks to my newfound energy.

Overall I feel positive about my Veganuary experience. It's not over yet, and I will be sticking to it for the rest of the month at least. I've discovered a newfound love of meat-free cooking, and compliments on my glowing skin and slimmer face (not body, yet!) from my friends are really motivating me.

I've always loved animals and felt slightly uncomfortable about having them as food, but at the same time I'm realistic and I enjoy eating meat and fish too much to give it up completely so will continue to look for higher welfare, responsibly farmed food.

The fact that my protein levels dropped in such a short time also highlights how difficult it is to source outside of animal products - even though my diet was filled with lentils, tofu and nuts - so I'll look to eggs to remedy this in the short term.

Vegan eating takes so much organisation and planning to get it right; you can't just walk into a shop and pick up a sandwich if you're used to shopping and eating this way.

You need to make the bulk of your food from scratch, or be prepared to shell out for expensive ready-made products. And eating out can be a minefield - this isn't something for already picky eaters, for sure.

Having said all that, if you have the courage of your convictions and are committed to a vegan diet then it is definitely possible to do - and enjoy. Personally, I can't wait to eat smoked salmon, boiled eggs and mozzarella again!

SHOPPING LIST Coconut milk x 4 = £5 Bread x 2 = £2.20 Peppers = 99p Spinach = £1.50 Tinned tomatoes = 39p Lentils = £2 Butternut squash = £3 Aubergine = £2 Cauliflower = £1.30 Tofu x 2 = £3.50 Coconut oil = £5 Rice = £1.60 Coriander = 99p CoYo x 5 = £10 Tofurky sausages = £3.75 Avocado x 3 = £1.80 Poppadums = £1.30 Cherry tomatoes = 99p Amy's Kitchen veggie burgers = £2.50 Amy's Kitchen mac and cheese = £2.20 Polenta = £2 Rocket = £1.50 Sweet potatoes = £1.60 Celeriac = 99p Lizi's Granola = £2.69 Alara Muesli - £2.79 Violife x 2 = £5 Lasagne sheets = 60p Mushrooms = £1.50 Chippa May-O and Ketchup = £3 Glorious soups x 2 = £3 TOTAL £71.68* *I generally made large batches of most dinners and had plenty of leftovers to freeze for another day, so this figure is even better value. Advertisement

FACT BOX TITLE Raw Chocolate Cake Ingredients Base 11/2 cups almonds or coconut chips 1 cup raisins (or chopped up figs, or any dried fruit except goji berries) 3 tblsp coconut oil, melted 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp salt Method Blend all ingredients in a food processor and press into a spring form cake tin. Cake filling 1 avocado 50g cacao powder 25g lúcuma (optional) Pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla 40g coconut oil (melted) 60g coconut sugar 3/4 cup of almond milk 50g creamed coconut (melted) Method Blend avocados until smooth, then add all other ingredients and blend together in a food processor. Pour mixture over the base and leave to set in the fridge. Decorate with fresh raspberries, blueberries or cacao nibs. Advertisement