Could you do a plant based diet?

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Replies

  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    Do I have the testicular fortitude to put myself through, and endure such torture? Of course. Would I ever want to? No! I love meat.

    Rigger

    Ya gotta be hung to go vegan? Sounds controversial. ;-)
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    <<Yep not an issue for me, but it is just a personal preference of mine and I never feel the need to justify it...in the sense I do not ask people to justify their personal preferences/choices such as music, authors, sexual preference etc.

    Question is if you are considering this dietary preference why do you need peoples validation, if it is what you want to do and you have the financial and geographical means go for it and if you find it beneficial and to your liking what do others opinions matter.

    Damn. This is the best answer I've seen.

    For me, the answer is no, but that is me. I agree that we all have to make certain decisions for ourselves.
    Agree 100%

    I also love this answer. I work in a field where many of my colleagues are environmentally minded and have switched to primarily vegetarian diets for that reason, but I really couldn't do it personally. I am also a strong believer that adding up small changes over time is the way to go. I do what I can and worry about the causes that are most important to me. I encourage others to find the causes they are passionate about, but for every person it is a PERSONAL choice. My causes don't need to be your causes and vice versa, everyone makes a difference in their own way.

    ETA: Would totally be ok with switching to insect farming for the majority of protein consumption though, but I suspect I might be in the minority on that one....
  • I've been vegetarian/plant based for most of my life. For the last 2 months I've been trying to do a higher protien diet with meat and dairy but have decided to go back to my plant based lifestyle. I just feel lighter and healthier not consuming animal products - plus it's always nice to know you're eating a cruelty-free diet.
  • ab_1203
    ab_1203 Posts: 88 Member
    I can safely say that I will never do this in my life.
  • redversustheblue
    redversustheblue Posts: 1,216 Member
    No I could not, nor would I want to!
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    Negative, unless the world is ending and I had no choice.
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
    No. I'm diabetic and control my blood sugar with diet alone.
  • SaBh93
    SaBh93 Posts: 114 Member
    I honestly don't do well with restricting my carb intake. This usually means a load of fruit/veg/legumes.. occasionally nuts. Little to no oil. I don't care too much about the protein intake. So far I've had a few days where I went up to 2,500-2,700 cals, but I shake them off as they tend to be from 'clean' sources (too many bananas/dried figs), but I usually end up eating a bit less the next day as I don't feel too good. My usual calorie intake is between 1,800-1,900. Hell, I still lost some weight!

    I'm playing around with my diet for the next few weeks to find my 'happy' mode. So far, I'm sticking to a mostly vegan diet (with the occasional splash of real milk in my tea) and have one cheat meal a week where I can have cheese/wheat/meat/fish.

    Naturally, I don't eat much wheat/meat so it's the cheese restriction which I need to deal with in a constructive manner. Completely eliminating it will make me binge on it, so a cheat meal is a win-win situation.
  • aluethi1
    aluethi1 Posts: 97 Member
    I think I would starve to death if I tried. I'm way too picky! And I love meat. But if it was up to me to kill that meat I wouldn't be able to do it and would starve to death.
  • arl1286
    arl1286 Posts: 276 Member
    Yup, 100%. That's what I do most of the time except I eat eggs and cheese (which I could give up without too much trouble).
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    After watching all of the popular documentaries on this, my husband and I tried being vegan for about six weeks a couple of years ago. It went really well overall, though I have to applaud him for even trying since he LOVES meat. It's not something he decided to stick with, even though he acknowledged that he felt better. I think I could have stuck with it if he did too-it would just be harder to be going it alone. And I think we would have been more likely to settle into vegetarian rather than vegan just because of yogurt. (Oh, and now I'm liking eggs--really just as of last week--so that would keep me from being vegan now too.)
  • spg71
    spg71 Posts: 179 Member
    I went vegie for a year results as follows.

    More trumping (actually alot more trumping)
    Eyes that turn people to stone when they eat a bacon sandwich (proper english bacon not that frazzled stuff the rest of the world seems to eat.
    I put weight on due to all the pasta (not much mind)

    Then at Christmas someone brought a full on game-pie and i devoured half of in about 20 mins, that was the end of the that. In the end i dont think it made much difference apart from i cant eat much red meat nowdays.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Plant based? Sure.
    Vegetarian or vegan? I've done vegetarian, and no, I don't think I'd do it again.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    Do I have the testicular fortitude to put myself through, and endure such torture? Of course. Would I ever want to? No! I love meat.

    Rigger

    Ya gotta be hung to go vegan? Sounds controversial. ;-)

    Nrigger always stirring the pot...
  • happysummerrunner
    happysummerrunner Posts: 66 Member
    I tried a vegan diet for 2 months. It was the worst I've ever felt. I did it one month- quit, researched more, tried it a "healthier" way for a month and quit again. Google "recovering vegan." There are a lot of stories of how plant-based dieters have troubles.

    I love the idea of being vegan because I like the idea of not harming any animals. I just couldn't function on the diet. I feel better eating some meat, eggs and dairy.

    If you're considering it- good luck. I hope your experience isn't as bad as mine was. It seems some people do well on it.
  • GameOfPounds
    GameOfPounds Posts: 128 Member
    I don't know if I could just live off legumes,veggies and fruit and healthy breads etc. but I enjoy these foods a lot. I also enjoy dairy and some processed food. I'm not eating meat generally but I ate some chicken with my souvlaki.

    I like balance more. :)
  • missyahall2
    missyahall2 Posts: 99 Member
    OP, nothing wrong with a vegan diet...I couldn't/wouldn't want to do it, but there's nothing wrong with...just make sure you know how to get the nutrients you will be missing from eating meat/seafood/poultry. Those things you are eliminating provide a lot of nutrition and those nutrients need to be found elsewhere. Simply switching over to a vegan diet doesn't mean you're automatically super healthy...I know lots of vegetarians and vegans who do not get proper nutrition.

    Also Watch your iron and you will likely have to take B-12 supplements.
    [/quote]

    ^^^This
    I was a vegetarian for 10 years and did not watch my iron levels. My doctor basically told me that I needed to incorporate meat back into my diet because I had given myself anemia. I tried to take the supplements but I hated the taste. Now the taste of steak...me likey.
  • Blue801
    Blue801 Posts: 442
    I could, but I don't see any good reason as to why I should.
    ^^ditto
  • KristinaB83
    KristinaB83 Posts: 440 Member
    I guess I could if I had to since I LOVE fruit and veggies, but I don't have to, and I'm glad for that since I LOVE meat and cheese.
  • mammamaurer
    mammamaurer Posts: 418 Member
    no
  • kw1452
    kw1452 Posts: 113 Member
    The diet you are talking about is vegan. You can follow a "plant-based diet" and still eat meat and dairy. You just make the majority of your foods plants. Meat is an occasional to a few times a week food, and dairy is occasional or not consumed.

    Look up Nutritarian - thats a plant based diet that does include meat, just in small amounts.
  • LovingLifeInCalifornia
    LovingLifeInCalifornia Posts: 9,362 Member
    So I've done a lot of research on plant based diets and was wondering if anyone here could do one?

    That would mean giving up the following-> no meat of any kind no diary meaning no milk, cheese,

    And living off beans, legumes, veggies, and fruit, and drink things like almond milk. And eating stuff like ezekiel cereal etc for carbs

    Could you do it?

    I have done it in the past. It's hard living with meat eaters, though. I re-booted and started again in February, but I had two separate meat meals in the last 6 weeks.

    The dairy is a little easier to give up. Even though I have always loved dairy, the last few years, it's gotten more difficult as I seem to have an even greater intolerance to it. Taking lactaid pills all day long was a sign that something needed to go. I started with dairy.