Thinking about becoming a vegeterian but.. I don't really know where to start.

alondrakayy
alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
edited November 23 in Food and Nutrition
And honestly, thinking about not having meat makes me sad. I can confidently say it's about 75% of my diet. I have meat multiple times a day and pride myself a bit in not having to take supplements in order to meet my protein requirement. I hate supplements no matter how they are prepared.

I would like to hear from meat lovers turned vegetarian - how did you go about it?

Please no arguing as I don't want to have to skip through your response to my post and then other people responding to your response.

This would not be for weight loss purposes. It's more like, I love animals.. but never enough to give up meat. That was sad to type out.

Replies

  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    What is it about not eating meat that makes you sad? Are there ways to achieve those things that make you happy without eating meat? Would there be things about not eating meat that would make you happy?

    I went vegetarian about 13 years ago. I wasn't an animal rights activist or a health nut or any of those other stereotypes people have of vegetarians. I was just a college student. I was sitting in McDonald's eating a Chicken McNugget, and it occurred to me that I didn't know why I was eating it. I didn't think it was very healthy. I liked the taste of the breading, but not the meat. I just ate meat because that's what people ate. I never loved it...it's just what I thought food was. I had never really thought about *why* I was eating meat before, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I couldn't come up with a good reason to eat it. So I stopped.
  • Iwantahealthierme30
    Iwantahealthierme30 Posts: 293 Member
    I was a vegetarian for 3 years but it didn't really work for me. I got low iron and my doctor suggested I go back to eating non-veg then I spent a year eating out mostly because I didn't do that before, so I gained 15 pounds and that's why I'm here again.
  • Iwantahealthierme30
    Iwantahealthierme30 Posts: 293 Member
    I was also eating too many carbs. My boyfriend is vegetarian and eats pasta mostly but he's fine (and skinny) I'm guessing I just had bad examples of vegetarians around me (I once knew a vegan who ate just french fries and doritos) so I decided to go back.
  • alondrakayy
    alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
    edited December 2017
    Iwantahealthierme30 wrote: »
    I got low iron

    .. this helped me remember something! After a view days (I think..it could've been a week or so) without me I remember trying to donate blood at school and couldn't due to low iron which I associated to my recent diet change. I don't want to have an iron deficiency.

    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    But if the animals are why you're doing it, the are other ways to reduce your impact on the industry. Look into ethical and sustainable farms and suppliers.

    I started purchasing the 'roam free eggs'. They are pricier and the supplier is local.. but according to my brother and his gf it's 'a bunch of bs' and that it doesn't make any difference. So I will look into this more! Thank you.
    apullum wrote: »
    What is it about not eating meat that makes you sad?

    I simply LOVE meat. I love ground beef, chicken, bacon, and steak. Not having them makes me sad I guess because naturally everyone would be sad if they didn't have their favorite daily things? Idk. That's the best answer I can come up with.


    Replacing one meal a day is such great advice and is less stressful than quitting meet all at once! So currently searching for yummy, simple veg meals.

  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    edited December 2017
    Being vegetarian or vegan does not necessarily translate to having low iron. My iron levels have always been fine. Most of us can get all of the iron we need from a well-balanced diet with or without meat.

    You don't actually have to be a vegetarian or vegan in order to eat less meat. You can just make intentional efforts to eat less meat without having to live up to a particular label.

    There are also a LOT of meatless proteins out there. It's not all tofu. You might try out some different brands and see what you like.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    alondrakayy wrote: »
    Iwantahealthierme30 wrote: »
    I got low iron

    .. this helped me remember something! After a view days (I think..it could've been a week or so) without me I remember trying to donate blood at school and couldn't due to low iron which I associated to my recent diet change. I don't want to have an iron deficiency.

    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    But if the animals are why you're doing it, the are other ways to reduce your impact on the industry. Look into ethical and sustainable farms and suppliers.

    I started purchasing the 'roam free eggs'. They are pricier and the supplier is local.. but according to my brother and his gf it's 'a bunch of bs' and that it doesn't make any difference. So I will look into this more! Thank you.
    apullum wrote: »
    What is it about not eating meat that makes you sad?

    I simply LOVE meat. I love ground beef, chicken, bacon, and steak. Not having them makes me sad I guess because naturally everyone would be sad if they didn't have their favorite daily things? Idk. That's the best answer I can come up with.


    Replacing one meal a day is such great advice and is less stressful than quitting meet all at once! So currently searching for yummy, simple veg meals.

    I love meat too. I could never be a vegetarian - sitting down to a juicy steak is satisfying to me. That said, I eat 130-150g protein a day. Very little is meat, with a lot coming from vegetarian sources. I try to buy more ethically sourced products - they tend to be more expensive, so I eat less.
  • augustremulous
    augustremulous Posts: 378 Member
    I come from a vegetarian family. I think the thing to remember is when you're replacing meat with a vegetarian protein source, the vegetarian protein source probably has a few carbs. So that means you'll be cutting back on carbs in other places. If you just simply eat the same carbohydrates and then replace your meat with something like beans or lentils, you're going to be increasing your overall carb and calorie intake.

    I also agree with above posters about doing it gradually. Depending on how much meat you eat now, cut back by about 35% and try to maintain it for a couple of months until it becomes easy. Then reduce more. And maybe also cut back on types of meat - switch to mostly fish and occasionally poultry and cut out all hog, lamb, and beef.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    alondrakayy wrote: »
    Iwantahealthierme30 wrote: »
    I got low iron

    .. this helped me remember something! After a view days (I think..it could've been a week or so) without me I remember trying to donate blood at school and couldn't due to low iron which I associated to my recent diet change. I don't want to have an iron deficiency.

    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    But if the animals are why you're doing it, the are other ways to reduce your impact on the industry. Look into ethical and sustainable farms and suppliers.

    I started purchasing the 'roam free eggs'. They are pricier and the supplier is local.. but according to my brother and his gf it's 'a bunch of bs' and that it doesn't make any difference. So I will look into this more! Thank you.
    apullum wrote: »
    What is it about not eating meat that makes you sad?

    I simply LOVE meat. I love ground beef, chicken, bacon, and steak. Not having them makes me sad I guess because naturally everyone would be sad if they didn't have their favorite daily things? Idk. That's the best answer I can come up with.


    Replacing one meal a day is such great advice and is less stressful than quitting meet all at once! So currently searching for yummy, simple veg meals.

    Iron deficiency is not inevitable for vegetarians. I have been vegan for ten years and I donate blood every eight weeks. I have never been turned away for my iron levels. The last time I was turned away was about fifteen years ago . . . when I was still eating meat. I get my iron tested every year at my check-up and my doctor confirms that it is good. It's now so good, in fact, that my doctor recommended that I stop taking my supplement.

    If you do decide to go vegetarian, you can Google iron-containing foods that fit into your plan and eat those regularly. If that doesn't do the trick, you can talk to your doctor about supplementing.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    it doesn't sound like you really want to do it...?

    It may be that OP doesn't really want to do it, but in my experience it can be somewhat common for those contemplating vegetarianism or veganism to want to make the change due to ethical concerns, but experience trepidation or unhappiness around giving up foods they enjoy. I know I felt this personally myself before making the change.
  • Amyfinch0
    Amyfinch0 Posts: 22 Member
    I went vegetarian a few years ago for the animals. Like you I was really bummed out by the thought of not eating meat anymore because I loved the taste and meat was the focal point of every single dish I ate.

    So I started out in stages - first went the red meat, then gradually went the fish, then eventually went the chicken. Cutting out each option slowly really helped me acclimatise and give me time to learn how to incorporate more vegetarian options into my diet. I now have an appreciation for vegetables, and use Quorn a helluva lot (because the love of meat taste and texture has never died, I’ll be honest).

    There were times and periods I’ve slipped up and ate meat because I struggle with discipline, but I always remind myself why I went vegetarian in the first place: because my pleasure doesn’t justify all that pain and suffering.

    I went vegan for a while, loved it, but then made my excuses and crawled back to vegetarianism. I’m working back toward veganism now I’m better educated.

    Also, a handful of supplements in the morning is hardly difficult or a cop out. Taking them I now get more iron then I ever did as a meat eater!
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    why are you doing something you clearly don't want to do?
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    So you want to be a sad vegetarian? I agree, try cutting back first. I gave up meat about 6 months ago, but only because I hate handling raw meat. No issues with iron, protein or otherwise.
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
    As others have said, your first step may be to scale it back. Cut out some the meat you're currently consuming and gradually take away more. Or just go cold turkey and do it. Connecting with your reason for wanting to give it up can help, so researching the meat industry and how animals are treated may help you with that final step. It may not. Sometimes the switch just has to be flipped on it's own (that's how it worked for me. I knew what I was doing and understood what the animals went through, but it took me awhile for me to commit. I actually going through it again as I go through the mental hurdles over the last of my dairy).

    The other good thing to do is research how vegetarians and vegans eat. So many people fail because they have no clue how good they can actually eat. Read recipe blogs or invest in some good cookbooks (I highly recommend Thug Kitchen because their books teach the meat-free basics). When I cook for myself, I eat so much great food. It isn't all kale salads and cauliflower and poorly prepared tofu!

    Last suggestion, get ok with reading labels. You'd be surprised all the things that you would expect to be just vegetarian (we're not even talking vegan!) that aren't! And things can be labeled vey misleadingly. Today, I stopped at a differ even grocery store than normal (I was actually scouting it to see if it had more vegan convenience options that my normal store). They don't carry my preferred brand of canned soup, so I was looking at alternatives. Progresso has a line of "vegetable classics." They even have a friendly green band at the top of the label. You'd think they were all vegetarian, but at least three that I looked at were either flavored with bacon or had a beef or chicken broth base. Thankfully, this isn't quite as vital if you still want to consume dairy, but you do need to pay closer attention, particularly to prepackaged food.

    Good luck! You can do it! You will get past the sadness part (I was originally bummed about giving up burgers and pepperoni and sausage gravy, but I really, really don't miss ANY of it!).
  • alihoule93
    alihoule93 Posts: 16 Member
    The best advice I have is research, research, research, and don't take anything at face value. Different things work for different people. You also need to ensure you're mindful about supplements (which, granted, I think everyone needs to do anyway). For instance, I'm a vegetarian that eats eggs, but few dairy products. I supplement with a vegan B-12 pill (which is typically only found in animal products), to ensure those levels stay up. I've also always had lower iron than ideal, so I have to be careful to get a lot of iron rich veggies into my diet, and/or supplement.

    You also don't have to do it all at once! Try not to put too much pressure on yourself if you "slip." When I went vegetarian, I thought it was going to be so much harder than it was in practice, but I totally hit some bumps in the road. Just do your best!

    If you want moral support, feel free to friend me! :)
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
    My husband and I cut down on eating meat, maybe once a month now he gets a piece of Salmon and I get a small steak. We did it for personal reasons like you and even though we arent fully vegetarian, we cut down so much it feels better to us. After awhile not eating meat just became natural to us, and sometimes we go a few months without eating meat. I think you will find a happy medium.

  • nickssweetheart
    nickssweetheart Posts: 874 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    it doesn't sound like you really want to do it...?

    It may be that OP doesn't really want to do it, but in my experience it can be somewhat common for those contemplating vegetarianism or veganism to want to make the change due to ethical concerns, but experience trepidation or unhappiness around giving up foods they enjoy. I know I felt this personally myself before making the change.


    It's hard. I'm a shy person in a lot of ways and hate to ask others to go out of their way for me. I'm just not good at asking for what I want. I'm actively trying to work on it.

    Also, I struggle with depression. I've also been going through a period where when I was mad at myself or others for making bad decisions, I would eat out of alignment with my own ethics. It doesn't make much sense does it? But there are lots of things I do that don't make sense to me. Kind of like the "I ate one bad thing so might as well ruin the rest of my day" problem.

    All or nothing thinking, that is the big issue. Compromise!
  • nickssweetheart
    nickssweetheart Posts: 874 Member
    edited December 2017
    BUT if something is really worth it, it is worth fighting for.

    I believe animal protection is one of those things.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    As many have said you need to figure out what's right for you. I was vegetarian for about a year - I got my protein from cheese, eggs, lentils, beans, etc. I could not become vegan for my lifestyle so I still consume animal byproducts. I do not buy personal hygiene products that use animal testing in them - so shampoos, conditioners, face washes, make up, etc. I take a huge stand on animal testing but I can still consume cheese, eggs, and so on. For me that's ok - for other's it won't be. I am not here to preach about it, but more just the issue isn't black and white so you do need to likely do some trial and error.

    I recently integrated poultry back into my diet (chicken, fish, turkey) but no red meat. This is because I found I wanted it back in my diet, but red meat I do not miss. This is completely my choice. I am specific about where the meat comes from.

    Because you consume a large amount of meat your transition might be hard. For reference, even before I went vegetarian I only had meat once/day and sometimes only a couple days a week. If you're eating it multiple times per day you might find you struggle to find suitable meal alternatives that you enjoy. For this I might suggest - as others have - that you do this slowly. Like maybe only have it once/day and then move to having it only a couple days a week and then completely phase it out.

    Also, as others have asked, why do you want to do this? Mine, at first, was a budgetary thing. Yes I am concerned about animal welfare so previously even buying meat was buying meat that came from a specific source and that really added up in my budget/grocery bill. Your concerns/reasons should be your own. Yes I know some people will tell me I cannot be concerned about animal welfare if I still consume meat, and in a way I agree: animals are going to be killed for me to consume meat - I get it. And I'm ok with the animals I consume: chicken, fish and turkey. I am not ok with cows and pigs being harmed. It's an odd way of looking at it, I know and I might get some backlash for it but my point is that you need to research, experiment and figure out what works for you. If you can sleep at night, and you feel content eating whatever you eat then that is what matters. If it's only calories then you can do that on chips and chocolate but if it's for nutrition then you need to put much more effort and thought into planning your meals if you decide to become vegetarian.

    That's my $0.02 worth.
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