Became a vegetarian today, help!

DaddieCat

As a long time vegan, congrats... do what you think is best. That said... educate the hell out of yourself. Vitamin deficiencies are no joke and you need to adjust your diet accordingly to make sure that you are getting the micro nutrients that you need. Macros are important, but micros are also important.

The book suggestions are great. I would add "The Vegan Sourcebook" as it addresses many of the micro nutrient issues. "Vegan Bodybuilding and fitness" as it addresses many challenges with a plant based diet and fitness and "Thrive" for the same reasons.

Eating a plant based diet is not hard after you have your adjustment period, but it will take some research. All of the documentaries listed are great and many of them are available on Netflix.

Google will be your friend as there are many plant based resources... find some good blogs and websites to help you out. Google things like "plant based diet", "vegetarian blogs", "vegan blogs", "vegetarian fitness", etc and look through the results. You are guaranteed to find something useful.

Good luck and feel free to add me if you want a friend/support.

_benjammin

I'm surprised so many people are defensive on this issue.

When you say this "I just truly believe vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters", what do you expect?
My sister is vegan, has been for nearly 20 years. She's healthy, but she's also a vegan chef so she's cooking all the time and aware of her macros. We live on opposite sides of the US now but for a few years we lived in the same city and I was vegetarian, but not healthy. I eat whatever I want now and am healthy.
My opinion/obersvation is most vegan's conviction comes from animal welfare. I "became" vegetarian during a time my work responsibilities took my "inside" commercial chicken, turkey, and hog farms and processing plants. I try not to think about that anymore. Chicken wings and Carolina BBQ won't kill you.

DatMurse

I'm surprised so many people are defensive on this issue.

When you say this "I just truly believe vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters", what do you expect?
My sister is vegan, has been for nearly 20 years. She's healthy, but she's also a vegan chef so she's cooking all the time and aware of her macros. We live on opposite sides of the US now but for a few years we lived in the same city and I was vegetarian, but not healthy. I eat whatever I want now and am healthy.
My opinion/obersvation is most vegan's conviction comes from animal welfare. I "became" vegetarian during a time my work responsibilities took my "inside" commercial chicken, turkey, and hog farms and processing plants. I try not to think about that anymore. Chicken wings and Carolina BBQ won't kill you.

agreed. people who practice this for animal welfare, thats great. thats your belief.

I believe many of those videos are extremely bias and do not show the videos of humane slaughtering houses such as the ones temple grandin manage and helped develop


however, its not healthy

redheaddee

I just have to say this. Vegetarians/vegans are not inherently healthier than omnivores. You can be vegan and eat oreos, pop tarts, chips, breads, cakes, biscuits, etc. You still have to make healthy choices. Meat/animal by-products don't immediately make a person unhealthy. I've met plenty of obese vegetarians and fit and healthy meat eaters. It's all about the food choices you make, not just the diet you choose to follow.

You beat me to this.

I have a friend who is a vegetarian. Lives on mashed potatoes, mac'n'cheese, and desserts. How is this healthier?

LavenderBouquet

Here for the tips as well, I just starting eating vegetarian about 2 weeks ago and am trying my best to eat at least mostly vegan for now.

bjshields

To clarify, WHOLE FOODS plant-based choices are documented as being better for you insofar as cholesterol, heart issues and some cancers. The other posters are absolutely correct -- just because it's "vegan" doesn't mean it's healthy. Potato chips are vegan. Not looking for a fight here, FYI. (See The China Study book, Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead if you want resources on studies.)

If you need a good cookbook, the China Study Cookbook is good, as is Dr. Neal Barnard's Get Healthy Go Vegan Cookbook.
Also the Happy Herbivore has some great recipes online.

Good luck to you!

redheaddee

Read "Eat to Live' and "Forks over Knives"
Watch Earthlings a documentary on You tube.
These will help strengthen your convictions.

Remember there will always be those who will oppose. Just do your own thing.

Sorry,but no. They are simply propaganda. I prefer peer-reviewed scientific nonsense.

kellybean14

First of all, congratulations! It can be a tough decision to go meat-free, and if you fuel your body the right way, a vegetarian diet can be extremely rewarding.

I've been a vegetarian for about 10 years now, so let me know if you need any recipe suggestions/recommendations on how to get enough protein, etc.

bsm70985

I read this book cover and changed the whole way I think about food. It's the Idiot's Guide to Plant Based Eating. ---

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Plant-Based-Nutrition/dp/1615641017

It explains what your body needs and how to feed yourself properly without having to eat meat, if you don't want to.

I don't believe it's inherently unhealthy to eat meat, but if you don't want to, you have options. You can stay healthy and follow your convictions.

Try it out if you want, but don't let a fad dictate how you care for your body. Meat fell out of my life slowly over a period of several years as I just slowly didn't feel comfortable eating it any longer as I explored my feelings about it.

sarah456s

It's amazing how many conversations you'll have over meat eating as soon as you say you're a vegetarian or vegan.

Anyway, good luck! As already mentioned, educate yourself, take B12, and try to eat whole foods, not processed junk to be healthy. Forks over Knives, The China Study and Veganomicon are all good sources of info. Other sources to look out for include Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and The Engine 2 Diet. I don't know yet if I really truly believe that you have to cut out oil to be healthy, as mentioned in some of the books, but then, I'm still overweight, so maybe there is something to it.

Lemongrab1

If you're becoming vegetarian to lose weight, don't.
I'm a vegetarian but I did it simply because I'm a bleeding heart and I like fuzzy chickens.
You can still put on weight while being a vegetarian (chocolate's not made out of steak).

JenMc14

I'm not going to weigh in on whether or not it's healthier, other than to say that I'm an omnivore, and I have medical bloodwork done every year for my insurance, and it always comes back fine, plus I'm at a healthy weight.

That being said, I'd start by making lists. List every protein source you can/will eat, list your fats, etc. start to put meals together to include each macro. It's so easy just to rely on bread and fruit (or whatever) (I was a vegetarian in college for about a year. I was definitely not making the best food choices) and become protein, vitamin and mineral deficient.

Iron_Lotus

OP so sorry for your loss

cwolfman13

Personally, before just diving in, I'd sugget maybe actually doing more research and having a plan rather than just "contemplating" it and diving in head first. There is a lot to know...you have to be much more aware of your macros in RE to hitting essential targets like protein and other micro-nutrients like you B12 and iron need to be accounted for...just for example.

Being vegan/vegetarian doesn't auto make you a "healthier" individual...in fact, many a vegetarian is seriously lacking in essential nutrients because they know little to nothing about proper nutrition and/or how to make up for those nutrients lost by not eating meat...

You can be very healthy being a vegetarian/vegan and you can also be unhealthy...just as you can be a very healthy omnivore and also be a very unhealthy omniovire. It really doesn't come down to meat or no meat...it's really all about what makes up your diet as a whole and whether or not you are getting proper nutrition. Proper nutrition in either case will have you looking younger at an older age...it doesn't have anything to do with meat.

WhiteRabbit1313

Oh, jeez! Why do this overnight? Why not just acclimate over time? Some diets you can follow, at first, are Sabbatarian (7th Day Adventists) diets, which limit their meat intake as well as known unhealthy foods (artificial sweeteners, processed foods, that sort of thing). They are high on the healthiest communities list. The Japanese diet is also a good one to follow. One thing to note, the healthiest people/communities (Sardinians, and other Mediterranean people, Japanese, and 7th Day Adventists, for examples) DO eat meat--they just don't eat that much meat; they rely more on whole foods, they eat more seafood, more veggies, and don't eat very many processed foods. So, if you're doing this for health, take notes from the healthiest people in the world, rather than propaganda materials (so-called documentaries, which I've ALSO watched!). If the issue is animal welfare, then you'll be that much closer to becoming a vegetarian/vegan.

http://www.bluezones.com/live-longer/education/expeditions/

redraidergirl2009

If you're becoming vegetarian to lose weight, don't.
I'm a vegetarian but I did it simply because I'm a bleeding heart and I like fuzzy chickens.
You can still put on weight while being a vegetarian (chocolate's not made out of steak).

Agreeded. The magical vegetarian weightloss skipped me. I didn't start to lose weight until I started focusing on portion sizes and what kind of food I was eating. I still enjoy foods I like but in moderation.

Also you must keep in mind that only a well planned vegetarian diet is healthy, while you will get all the nutrients you need you will need to pay more attention to iron as nonheme iron isn't absorbed and used as well as heme iron. You wi also need to watch your protein intake and eat plenty of greens for calcium.

I don't think anyone is hating on the OP, but you can believe anything you want and it doesn't make it true. Plenty of nonhealthy vegetarians out there.

I became vegetarian because I don't want to eat anyone anymore so I don't struggle with craving meat like health only vegetarians do. I support your decision only because it means more animals will be spared even though that is not something you appear concerned with; as for your reasoning, I don't support it because it's false.

ekz13

It's amazing how many conversations you'll have over meat eating as soon as you say you're a vegetarian or vegan.

and not to "call you out" by any means (just using the quote) ...(I come in peace??? :laugh: )

but it does work the other way around too.. they (vegetarians (die hard ones)) are quick to shove some bean sprouts or tofu chunks at you as well.

--->back on topic..

personally, if it makes you happy...godspeed.. oh wait... can't say that. uhhh more power to you??

lieselLalor

I was a vegetarian for about a year before I got pregnant and decided it wasn't in my best interest anymore. I went from meat eater to vegetarian overnight and did pretty well so here are a few of my tips.

Define what you will or will not eat. I did not eat meat but I still ate fish and seafood. That was my lifesaver. Also I could never have gone completely vegan. I ate a ton of eggs, cottage cheese, and cheese. I ate a lot of protein. Be careful not to eat too many processed veggie foods. It is so easy to buy a bunch of frozen soy patties and veggie burgers but that is just as bad as frozen chicken patties. I ate a lot of salads and beans.

I did lose weight but not because I stopped eating meat, because I ate better and made healthier decisions. Since I had all the crap out of my system I rarely even had cravings for things I shouldn't have been eating.

Good luck, don't make it about losing weight, but being healthier, like you said.

stefa711

Check out the group "Happy Herbivores" on here. It really helped me in my transiiton to veganism. If you do it right and eat the proper foods, you can be very healthy and happy as a vegan (or vegetarian).

I'd suggest using the website "Oh She Glows" for recipes. Forks over Knives is a great documentary on the plant-based whole foods diet (basically, a very healthy vegan diet). And if you're into reading, check out The China Study. Great book with lots of facts. There is also a Forks Over Knives cookbook which is great!

Good luck! You can FR me if you want to peek at my food diary anytime!

stefa711

Read "Eat to Live' and "Forks over Knives"
Watch Earthlings a documentary on You tube.
These will help strengthen your convictions.

Remember there will always be those who will oppose. Just do your own thing.

Sorry,but no. They are simply propaganda. I prefer peer-reviewed scientific nonsense.

Forks Over Knives is largely based on The China Study, which just so happens to be "peer-reviewed scientific nonsense". Pop into a Barnes and Nobles and open any page of the book (which is a very condensed summary of the study)... The author does not make a single statement without the proper evidence and reference to back it up.