Venus Williams jokes about her vegan diet and shares post-illness thoughts on life and tennis

Venus Williams of the US makes a backhand return to Kazakstan's Galina Voskoboeva during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith) (The Associated Press)

Venus Williams of the US waves after defeating Kazakstan's Galina Voskoboeva during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith) (The Associated Press)

MELBOURNE, Australia – Venus Williams has made the dietary leap from steak lover to vegan but admits that in times of weakness she is a "cheagan."

That's Venus-talk for a cheating vegan.

On her website the 32-year-old American refers to this phase of her life as "Venus A.D." — Venus After Diagnosis.

Food is not the only difference between then and now, but it is one of the big lifestyle changes Williams has made since being diagnosed in 2011 with an immune system illness that had caused her years of mysterious symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue and muscle pain.

Williams went public with her illness after withdrawing from her second-round match at the 2011 U.S. Open and then took seven months off tennis, skipping last year's Australian Open as she learned how to manage the disease known as Sjogren's syndrome.