Try veganhealth.org for some nutritional pointers. I do eat the fake stuff like Tofurky and Gardein and it did take some adjustment but I use the fake meat substitutes randomly. I love whole foods like rice, beans, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, quinoa, etc.
It is easy to safely keep up this lifestyle, in my opinion it is far safer than eating meat. You may just need to poke around online and find some good information.
Here are a few links to my favorite websites
www.compassionatecook.com
www.veganoutreach.com
http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/default.aspx

If you do decide to try the fake meat stuff you bought, read the ingredients and make the mental connection that it is just plant protein and maybe that will help. There are lots of vegetarians and vegans out there that do not eat the fake stuff, its all about discovering foods you may not have known are out there to take the place of meat.
Hope that helps :)

I don't eat many of those fake foods. I was raised vegetarian, so I don't crave meat stuff "naturally".

My advise is to do this more slowly. Take a thing out one or two at a time and find some nutritious substitute as your recipe book grows.

I was diagnosed as being anemic (guess it's rare for men) Last year, along with a low red blood count. I took iron pills for a while. They double nicely as diet pills, as I could not eat for 4 hours afterwards.

Most, meat eaters included, people who become anemic take iron pills to get over it.

as far as places to get recipes, there are several large cultures that have strong vegetarian customs and therefore good recipes. Asian and Indian mostly, but plenty from them middle east also.

Hiya

I am not a fan of the fake meats, only because of the texture and taste of some of them. I have found a few that I do like so tend to stick to those and just make a meal around them, otherwise I make bulk meals of one thing and freeze them giving me heaps of different choices come meal times.

I have also just been diagnosed Anemic and am on some really great iron tablets that dont interfere with my system. However it will take 6 months for your iron to resume once you start taking tablets, so if this is an option for you dont expect immediate results.

I am also Coeliac and allergic to potatos, tomatos and chocolate! So I fully understand the nightmare that comes to finding something to eat.

I have said this a few times on here but if you really are stuck (as I was) then go see a professional like a dietitian. I managed to find a fantastic lady who helped me with menu plans and guidance.

If you want to research different kinds of fake meat products then I have found Chinese Supermarkets to be the best place (not sure if you have them near you or not).

Hope some of that helps - and GOOD ON YOU for your first 10 days.

Marrisa

When I first became vegan, I tried substitutes to try and recreate the sight and taste of foods that I had been familiar with.. After a few years I realised it was easier to change my expectations about mealsand to settle on a completely different way of eating.
I now eat only beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, grains, fruit and vegetables. Meals are quick, simple and delicious. Recipes are handy to have and there are good websites mentioned already.

Thank you everyone for your feedback. It is very appreciated. I will cHeck out the websites now. Thanks again!

get multi-grain cheerios, that solves the iron problem. Otherwise you are likely fine, iron is just something that's hard for everyone to get enough of not just vegetarians.