Vegetarian/Vegan roll call!
theseus82
Posts: 255 Member
Post here if you're a practicing vegetarian or vegan!
Feel free to also answer these questions:
1) How long have you been a vegetarian?
2) What made you decide to restrict meat or animal products from your diet?
3) What's the most annoying thing you've been told by a carnivore?
4) What's the last book you read about vegetarianism?
My answers:
1) I've lost count. I think it's been at least 6 years since I became a vegetarian. There have been adjustments over those years. About 2 years ago I started eating fish again to make myself a little more flexible in my relationship. I've often eaten eggs and dairy products: thus I was an ovo-lacto-vegetarian. Now I'm recommitting by giving up fish (did that a few weeks ago), eggs, and dairy. I would've still considered myself a vegetarian before; the term is pescatarian. Or, at least, a near vegetarian. Now I'm going vegan.
2) My girlfriend brought home a book called Food Revolution by John Robbins. A friend of hers recommended it to her. My GF never read the book, but I read it rather quickly. It was a page-turner. It did not pose itself as a diet per se, but made a cogent case against eating animal products. It covered the biggest arguments against meat: ethical, environmental, and health. I've never looked back on eating meat. Yes, I realize that fish is still meat. That was me relenting to pressure to be more versatile with my, now, ex-girlfriend.
3) Probably the most annoying person about my vegetarianism is my oldest brother. He constantly goads me about my being a vegetarian. He constantly gets in little comments that my lifestyle is unhealthy and that I'm probably not getting enough protein. The most annoying comment he ever made was suggesting to me that my vegetarianism hasn't really reduced suffering, because as far as anyone knew, plants like tomatoes suffered when they are eaten. He told me that who was I to say that tomatoes didn't feel pain when they are taken off the vine. Truly ridiculous. I pointed out the lack of a central nervous system, brain, etc. But he begged the question and suggested "I guess we'll never know. . ."
Meanwhile, during the entire time I've been losing weight and adapting lifestyle changes I can make permanent, he's been gaining weight and is an on-again, off-again Atkins dieter. He eats the greasiest foods and is certainly damaging his arteries and kidneys. His diet isn't in the least bit healthy, but my opinion on health is not greatly respected in my family, so my family follows my brothers' lead in Atkins. Everyone in my immediate family believes in Atkins. No one considers my choice to be vegetarian to be very healthy at all. In fact, my nephew has decided that he wants to become a vegetarian, and the family is now concerned that he won't get the nutrients or proteins he needs if he refuses to eat meat. The result is they are not respecting his decision and are strong-arming him to continue eating the chicken and ground beef that are staples in our home. sorry for the tl;dr.
4) the last book I read is Neale Barnard's Dr. Neale Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes. It is entirely relevant for people who don't have diabetes. Makes a good case for becoming a vegan. Describes a scientifically tested program of veganism that can help people maintain health without committing to an exercise program. I still exercise, but the book convinced me to give up eggs and dairy (thus becoming a vegan now). My mom was immediately concerned when I said I'd be giving up eggs. She thinks that eggs were the last source of protein in my diet. I have told her for years that I easily get between 70 and 100 grams of protein every day on my diet. But they never really listen to anything I say about this. . .
Feel free to also answer these questions:
1) How long have you been a vegetarian?
2) What made you decide to restrict meat or animal products from your diet?
3) What's the most annoying thing you've been told by a carnivore?
4) What's the last book you read about vegetarianism?
My answers:
1) I've lost count. I think it's been at least 6 years since I became a vegetarian. There have been adjustments over those years. About 2 years ago I started eating fish again to make myself a little more flexible in my relationship. I've often eaten eggs and dairy products: thus I was an ovo-lacto-vegetarian. Now I'm recommitting by giving up fish (did that a few weeks ago), eggs, and dairy. I would've still considered myself a vegetarian before; the term is pescatarian. Or, at least, a near vegetarian. Now I'm going vegan.
2) My girlfriend brought home a book called Food Revolution by John Robbins. A friend of hers recommended it to her. My GF never read the book, but I read it rather quickly. It was a page-turner. It did not pose itself as a diet per se, but made a cogent case against eating animal products. It covered the biggest arguments against meat: ethical, environmental, and health. I've never looked back on eating meat. Yes, I realize that fish is still meat. That was me relenting to pressure to be more versatile with my, now, ex-girlfriend.
3) Probably the most annoying person about my vegetarianism is my oldest brother. He constantly goads me about my being a vegetarian. He constantly gets in little comments that my lifestyle is unhealthy and that I'm probably not getting enough protein. The most annoying comment he ever made was suggesting to me that my vegetarianism hasn't really reduced suffering, because as far as anyone knew, plants like tomatoes suffered when they are eaten. He told me that who was I to say that tomatoes didn't feel pain when they are taken off the vine. Truly ridiculous. I pointed out the lack of a central nervous system, brain, etc. But he begged the question and suggested "I guess we'll never know. . ."
Meanwhile, during the entire time I've been losing weight and adapting lifestyle changes I can make permanent, he's been gaining weight and is an on-again, off-again Atkins dieter. He eats the greasiest foods and is certainly damaging his arteries and kidneys. His diet isn't in the least bit healthy, but my opinion on health is not greatly respected in my family, so my family follows my brothers' lead in Atkins. Everyone in my immediate family believes in Atkins. No one considers my choice to be vegetarian to be very healthy at all. In fact, my nephew has decided that he wants to become a vegetarian, and the family is now concerned that he won't get the nutrients or proteins he needs if he refuses to eat meat. The result is they are not respecting his decision and are strong-arming him to continue eating the chicken and ground beef that are staples in our home. sorry for the tl;dr.
4) the last book I read is Neale Barnard's Dr. Neale Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes. It is entirely relevant for people who don't have diabetes. Makes a good case for becoming a vegan. Describes a scientifically tested program of veganism that can help people maintain health without committing to an exercise program. I still exercise, but the book convinced me to give up eggs and dairy (thus becoming a vegan now). My mom was immediately concerned when I said I'd be giving up eggs. She thinks that eggs were the last source of protein in my diet. I have told her for years that I easily get between 70 and 100 grams of protein every day on my diet. But they never really listen to anything I say about this. . .
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Replies
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Hey, I am a vegetarian and have been for 19 years. Actually, for many years I was a vegan and am trying to get back to that once again.0
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hi there ive been vegetarian for 31 years now but with a laps of a few years where I did eat fish. I,m back on the straight and narrow again now. I couldn't imagine ever eating meat again.0
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Hi, I've been eating vegan and vegetarian off and on for 6 months now. But I'm eating vegan strictly now and its been a week!!0
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1. About 16 years
2. I had a bad experience in high school with meat being bloody so just got turned off.
3. Most annoying thing people say.... "oh, you are healthy!" Or "Thats why you are so thin!"...
4. Skinny *****0 -
lacto vegetarian for almost 40 years... vegan in spurts.. been recommitted to vegan for the last 6 months...
what made me become one ? I was born this way and have developed my convictions along the way...
annoying? eat a burger you'll feel better...
book? there were no books in my youth back when the Earth was cooling... :laugh:
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1) How long have you been a vegetarian?
About 4 years
2) What made you decide to restrict meat or animal products from your diet?
Dicovering the conditions the factory-farmed animals are subjected to....and finding out new things about the intelligence level of many food-animals.
3) What's the most annoying thing you've been told by a carnivore?
"I know all about it, and I still eat veal"
4) What's the last book you read about vegetarianism? "
Just re-read "Animal Liberation" by Peter Singer0 -
I am a vegetarian all my life. That is how I was brought up and that is how I am bringing up my kids and grand kids. It is cruelty to animals.0
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1. Off and on for the last 10 years. Made it permanent about 7 months ago.
2. Never much liked meat. I had to be forced or bribed to eat it as a small child. I would've been completely vegan since 2 years old if I'd been allowed. All I liked was veggies and some fruits and the occasional piece of bread.
This last time round I decided to do some research on why I wasn't feeling so great. This led to looking into diets, which led to looking at illnesses related to meats and how the animals are treated. When I found out that it's common practice to feed herbivores meat products, I was pretty much out, and when I found out a few more things after that, I can't stomach the idea any more of eating it.
3. "You need to eat meat. You're not getting enough protein" Hush up, my protein intake is fine. Followed closely by "you won't get skinny that way" I didn't go off meat to get skinny. I did it to get something I don't even like out of my system. -__-;
4. None. A lot of my looking has been documentary based and followed up by looking at medical studies and statistics.0 -
1) I've been fluctuating between vegan and vegetarian for the past 8 years, with two years completely vegan when I was 15-17. Now, I eat vegan as often as possible, which- fortunately- is more often than not, but will occasionally have something with dairy or egg when I go out to eat, though I've learned how to order certain menu items so they're vegan.
2) At first, it was purely for ethical reasons. I didn't know much about the ethical aspects besides that animals were being killed and possibly abused until I did a report for a class when I was in high school and did more research on factory farms an animal testing. After high school I became more invested in my health and started finding ways to drop my "junk food vegetarian" habits and adopt healthier ones, and now I eat a clean vegan/vegetarian diet.
3) Two things: "You need meat in your diet/ being vegetarian is unhealthy," and "Livestock animals aren't smart enough for us to have to care about their well being (like dogs)."
4) I haven't really read any books on vegetarianism in depth, but I read little factoids here and there and still read/research ways to be healthier and dispute others' beliefs that being vegetarian is bad for you and not bad for animals.0 -
1. I'm pescatarian (sp?) currently. Seven years ago I became vegan; it was very difficult on campus where I was living, so after about 6 months I went vegetarian. About 2 years ago I started eating fish after hearing from a few veggies about vitamin B absorption issues. It does give me more flexibility in finding healthy options when eating out, but I still feel like it's cheating. It is difficult to find sustainablely sourced seafood.
2. I never cared for meat very much as a child. In college, when I became vegetarian, I was really interested in PETA. It didn't take me long to realize that I don't agree entirely with their purpose. I feel very strongly about the compassionate treatment of animals especially those used for our food. I've read quite a bit about the environmental and health affects of the industrial ag business.
3. My family was very hostile when my sister and I became vegetarian. My grandma repeatedly told us that God created animals for us to eat, and I repeatedly told her that God didn't want us to treat them like garbage before we ate them. At family gatherings my aunts and uncles would be angry that we wouldn't eat dishes that they brought or that there were more vegetarian dishes in general. I had personally offended them by not eating meat; food cultures are deeply ingrained in people. I get it. After their anger subsided, my aunts would ask how my diet thing was going.. That's about as far as we have gotten.
4. Micheal Pollan's books are not directly about vegetarianism but about the food system and food culture in America. His books make me happy to be vegetarian and make me want to eat a more simple, healthy diet. I would recommend anything he has written!0 -
1) How long have you been a vegetarian?
several months, not sure how long exactly
2) What made you decide to restrict meat or animal products from your diet?
I don't want to eat anyone anymore.
3) What's the most annoying thing you've been told by a carnivore?
my cat is the only true carnivore I know, from other omi's I've just been ask about protein really
4) What's the last book you read about vegetarianism?
I didn't buy any books on vegetarianism, just cookbooks0 -
Hey there! I'm Donna and I'm 27.
1) How long have you been a vegetarian?
Honestly, I've been a vegetarian for only a few months. I'm a full time vegetarian and became one literally overnight. I guess I'm considered a lacto-vegetarian.
2) What made you decide to restrict meat or animal products from your diet?
I've ALWAYS disliked meat. But as a kid I had to eat what was cooked or go hungry. I love animals too and always have felt it was wrong to eat them. Over the past few years I've learned a lot about how farm animals are treated in this country and I find it appalling! I'd love to go vegan but I'm having trouble giving up cheese. I LOVE cheese!
3) What's the most annoying thing you've been told by a carnivore?
I was told today, actually that it's okay to eat meat because it says so in the Bible or something like that.
4) What's the last book you read about vegetarianism?
I haven't read any books on the subject yet. Do you have any suggestions?
I'd really live to make some vegetarian & vegan friends, so please feel free to add me!!0 -
Vegetarian for 2 years. Due to digestion and other issues i eat fish on occasion if protein is lacking.
Started as a challenge to myself just to see if i could do it since i never enjoyed meat very much but after loads of research and meeting people i stuck with it for ethical reasons and because i love this lifestyle.
The most annoying thing is when people don't understand WHY i'm a vegetarian. Like i dont enforce my lifestyle on anyone but at least listen to my explanation before categorizing me as the '' annoying animal-rights activist who only eats clean, likes to go on rants and is going through a phase''
i watch documentaries, read cookbooks and have had discussions with nutritionists,doctors and scientists but thats about it. Any recommendations?0
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