Skinny ***** and being a vegetarian!

francesstewart1

Wow, just read the book Skinny *****!

It was a great read and the vegetarian thoughts really stood out for me. All my adult life I have comtemplated becoming a vegetarian. I like meat but don't crave it or really like the way it makes my body feel. I've never really thought about it in terms of animal cruelty but after reading the book I felt physically sick by its claims.

I'm sure a lot of you have made the switch to being a vegetarian. I would love to hear your experiences and what the challenging parts were. The more detailed the better. What things did you do to make the switch easier? etc etc

Thanks in advance

Luckymam

Read it. What a fab book! Just take it slowly and don't beat yourself up over accidently eating stuff with animal produce in like I did! There are so many animal-friendly alternatives to meat and dairy. Some take a bit of getting used to but you'll get there. Just don't be afraid to experiment.

melliebee

I love bacon.... Vegetarian really isn't in my vocabulary.. But good luck in making the switch! (Means more bacon for me

knittygirl52

Vegetarianism is really healthy, if you do it right. I'm not one, mostly because my husband would divorce me! LOL.

Re: the animal cruelty, it really is true and really is out there, but for those who are concerned about animal treatment, there are other options. I buy eggs and poultry (and soon pork) from a local guy who has a farmette where he raises TRULY free-range poultry, eating an organic diet (plus all the bugs and stuff they can find), keeps them over the winter in the "Chicken Palace" which he has built for them--it even has a big bay window for them to sit in and look outside when the weather is too bad for them. Check out local organic farmers. Some of them treat their livestock better than some people treat their pets. Oh--and the eggs and poultry are FANTASTICK!

jac2lyn

I dont love bacon, I love a really good bacon and cheddar cheeseburger cooked to perfection! I tried the vegetarian thing and it did not work for me!!!! Good luck though, I wish you the best!

jessimacar

if you need any motivation read the book "eating animals" by jonathan safran foer. (or something like that)

it is horrifying the things that are done to animals, before they're even brought to a slaughter house! after reading that it should be a lot easier.

i didn't crave meat before either, and i've had almost no trouble not eating meat. the hard part is realizing there is meat in a lot of "meatless" items. cheese? marshmallows? salad dressings? and i'm not talking dairy. if you're going to become a vegetarian (congrats!) make sure to read every label. "rennet" and "gelatin" are found in many unassuming foods, and are made from animal parts, not necessarily meat.. :S

i have had cravings. i have not given in to them. there is nothing that could remove the imagery in that book from my mind. i don't want to support that industry by eating meat.

after the first week or so, once you learn a few recipes, and start to remember what things you can and cannot eat, it becomes a lot easier.

good luck!! add me if you have any questions or need some advice!

Edestiny7

I read 'The Kind Diet' by Alicia Silverstone. Her book breaks down the phases you go through in changing your eating. The first is 'flirting' and she has suggestions of things you can try, things to cut down, things to reduce, etc... It progresses from there.

Because I have kidney stones and need to reduce protein and sodium, I had already replaced milk with almond milk, ice cream with coconut non-soy dairy dessert, and yogurt with coconut yogurt. Because I was getting so much protein from the whole grains I was eating, and really, EVERYTHING has some protein in it, I didn't have enough protein left in a day to eat more than 2 ounces of meat. So I stopped eating meat after reading the book. I have been eating vegan for 2 months, first and foremost for health reasons, and second because of the cruel circumstances the animals are kept in.

For convenience food, I get Amy's frozen foods that are non-dairy and sometimes low sodium. I have been finding a lot of great vegetarian/vegan recipes online. One the biggest things that has helped me get everything I need while eating vegan, is taking half a serving of Vega - Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer powder in a smoothy once each day. It has really helped with my iron, calcium, etc.... I would find it very difficult without it, and am leery of taking supplements b/c of my stones. I shop in the natural foods section of my local grocery store and at a natural foods store. I WISH there was a Whole Foods store closer to where I live, but there is not.

jdsouthernbelle

I actually just listened to the audio version of this book and I am doing exactly what they said.....Take it slow and Phase out 1 thing at a time.

My first thing to give up was cheese.

Edestiny7

I actually just listened to the audio version of this book and I am doing exactly what they said.....Take it slow and Phase out 1 thing at a time.

My first thing to give up was cheese.

That was the HARDEST thing for me to give up in becoming vegan! Good for you!

hollyk57

Hi! I switched over to a vegetarian diet over 3 months ago and I feel WONDERFUL! I spent my whole life going back and forth with myself on the issue. I went vegetarian for a while when I was younger, then always went back. Sometimes its hard to break the habits you were raised on. I come from a big family of big eaters and I did most of the family cooking... cutting meat out just wasn't an option for them. I always felt like I couldn't do it because I'd be making too many sacrifices or that I'd miss it too much. I guess I felt weak - I couldn't break my poor eating habits and lose weight, so what made me think I could stop eating meat. I have many reasons for doing it - I wrote a blog post about it if you're interested - Mainly for my health and for my moral reasons. I am a HUGE animal lover and animal rights activist, and couldn't bare to contribute to the issue any longer. I felt like I'd start as a pescatarian first, allowing myself occasional fish or shellfish to ease the transition. But after a short time, I even lost my taste for that. I think MFP was a huge factor that helped me - With such a huge support system, I found that making all kinds of other healthy choices was so much easier, why not go veggie? I have found I have more energy now, and I feel better. I am learning all kinds of new foods and exciting options... do your research, there's tons of options so you're not going to just be eating veggies and salad. I love my new lifestyle and I finally feel 'right' inside. The other HUGE thing for me, was that it does limit some of the unhealthy options... I no longer go for fast food because there's not much I could eat there. McDonalds, Taco Smell, Buger King... blah... I used to go there out of desperation, a quick fix. Now I can't, so I've saved a lot of poor choices there, and overall, it makes me more conscientious of what I eat. I can still eat out with friends and family, and have plenty of options out there. I will note though, being vegetarian doesn't neccessarily translate into healthy - a lot of meatless options are not healthy and pack lots of calories, so you still have to work at making the right choices. One food that really helped me is Seitan. I don't care for tofu very much, but seitan, a wheat gluten product, is DELICIOUS and versatile, very high in protein and low in calories and other bad stuff. It is very close to steak and is great in any beef dish you can think of. There is also chicken and sausage flavored seitan. Anyway, good luck to you if you decide to make the choice. Do your homework, and understand the changes you need to make. Also, from an animal cruelty standpoint, do your research there too. I always imagined the treatment of animals for food was horrible, but the research I did scarred me for life and made it that much easier to make the change. I googled 'vegetarian' and vegetarian diet and found videos the made me cry. Always make changes in your life for your own reasons, and don't let others sway you. If you want more on that, again, look at my blog... just recently several 'haters' went on and cut me down for my reasons for the switch... haven't decided yet if they are worth responding to... good luck to you!

BellaB777

I read it and I love it. If you haven't already, get "Skinny B**** in the Kitch". Great recipes!

✿KẙMb529✿

Hi! I have been vegetarian for a little over a year now and like you, I never really craved it... I only really ate it because that's how I was raised. For me, the switch was slow and almost uninentional. I stopped eating red meat first and before I knew it was only eating turkey or chicken. For me, the worst part was preparing meat. *cringe* It never felt natural to be touching something that was once living and breathing. I like to tell my husband that I think I was born a herbivore in a carnivorous world. Anyways, nothing has been extremely hard for me except still trying to plan meals for my husband and son who are both meat-eaters still. I've stopped preparing meat and buy only pre-cooked meat. I've had to get more creative with meals, but besides that, it hasn't been bad. I will tell you...if you make the switch BEWARE of too much cheese! I gained weight because of the high cheesy/fatty foods that restarants offer to vegetarians. I had to start being more aware of the things I was putting in my mouth. Anyways, good luck and feel free to add me as a friend!!

c7eat2live

Yeah I read it too, and it did make me want to make the switch. I actually fully went veg for about three month-ish this year, and I didnt miss meat at all. I have since added back some fish, free range chicken and humanely raised red meat, but I would say I probably eat meat at 4 or 5 out of the 21 meals per week. I think there are moral reasons to switch as well as health reasons, and while I could never be vegan, I certainly pay much much closer attention to where my food is coming from. I also suggest reading Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food and also the Omnivore's Dilemma.

sarahtiano

Vegetarian is the way to go! I have been vegetarian for 12 years. The way I stay away from meat is to eat meat substitutes, like Morning Star. I absolutely love the way they taste and you can get every single kind of meat variety- everything from ham slices to Thanksgiving turkey to breakfast bacon.. it's incredible! My family (no one else is a vegetarian) eat it as well and they agree that it tastes just as good as regular meat. It is a TON healthier and much, much better for the environment, and of course, no animal cruelty! If you want more information, let me know!! Good luck, and welcome to the light side

TropicalKitty

Good luck switching over! I had tried a number of years ago, but I love meat.

Like others have said, not all animal places are bad - it's the huge corporations that are the problem (and the ones that end up with the tainted foods). I get my meats from local farmers who are nice to their animals and don't pump them full of hormones and antibiotics because of icky living conditions. So there are solutions to that problem in being an omnivore.

MorningStar Farms makes some great substitutes. Before I found out about a wheat issue I have, I used to use the crumbles to add protein quickly to pasta dishes on nights I didn't have a lot of time - you can't tell the difference.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

nic1227

That book along with "The Kind Diet" turned me vegetarian! I would definitely suggest picking up a copy of the KD, it's a great read.

A few weeks ago I made the transition to vegan and I love it! I feel so much lighter and more energized. Plus, it's great fun to experiment with recipes and new ingredients.

francesstewart1

@knittygirl52 – that sound great. I do love eggs so may have to look into that!
@jessimicar – Thanks for the tips on Gelatin and Rennet, bit scary what is in things.

@Edestiny7 – That book sound like exactly what I need. I am def in the precontemplation stage now or flirting as she puts it. I live in Germany so may be hard to get here will have to do some scouting around or look online for something similar.

@holly5k – Thanks for your post. I read your blog and can totally understand where you are coming from – argggg the comments underneath it...hello did the words ‘support site’ get lost on some people. I think it will probably be something i think about and make small changes for a while, while I learn a bit more about it.

Thanks for all your comments. I like the idea of going cruelty-free to some extent. I was really shocked by what I read and later saw after googling (anyone looked at the clip on the PETA website ). One other thing that really grossed me out was the thought of all the antibiotics etc going into the animal. Can’t believe I have been naive for so long!
I think actually cutting out meat will be fine as I already eat little of it and a lot of beans and lentils etc. But cheese, milk, and YOGURT especially will be the biggest challenge. Looking forward to trying some alternatives.

Pange33

That book changed my life (along with extra research)!!! I realized I was "ignoring" my subconscious vegetarian! Ever since I was a little kid, I was SUPER picky about the meat I did put into my mouth (eew, steak! don't even think about me putting prime rib in my mouth! Animal fat eew!). I always liked chicken, but I never looked at it closely because when I looked at the muscle fibers and or fat veins it grossed me out to the point I couldn't eat it. Why else are chicken fingers so popular to children?? What is covered in batter can't gross you out! I did love cheeseburgers, but only well done hockey pucks, if I saw or ate pink I would gag. But it's how I was raised, humans are supposed to eat meat. And the general public ignores where and how it comes from animals.

I'm by no means even a good vegetarian right now, but I am trying. I can tell you that within the year I first read Skinny, I've eaten meat maybe 6 times, 5 times being my worst weakness-chicken fingers, and once being turkey breast (a gathering with good friends, and I won't lie, it was the most scrumptious turkey dinner, but I felt super guilty after I ate it, and I remember being mad that I ignored that voice in my head saying "how are you enjoying this and ignoring how gross it is, this carcass that lived on a factory farm?"

Being/trying to be vegan is HARD, Especially when trying to lose weight. I'm currently struggling with eating enough so that I CAN excercise without starving my body The hardest non vegan foods to give up are pizza and ice cream. I know there are vegan cheese alternatives, but where I live, there's NO options, I once ordered a vegan cheese online and I HATED it. And veg ice cream is delicious, but if you honestly compare it to the real thing, it's not the same. but veg ice cream doesn't have the natural addictiveness of ice cream. I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE eggs too. I have successfully stayed away from them (except in occcaisonal baked goodies, sweets are my downfall more than anything). My mouth still waters like crazy when I smell them cooking.

It can be done, and it's a constant battle, but I am trying to go and stay vegan. No matter how much family/friends may make fun of me

Taytotot

I recently went lacto-ovo-vegetarian (some dairy and eggs too - organic/free-range) from pollo-vegetarian and the hardest part for me is giving up Turkey. I LOVE TURKEY. However, I do not love the way meat makes my body feel when I digest it, it can be very painful. I also do not agree with the way animals are treated on most farms. I do not disagree that animals are here for consumption, that is the circle of life, but I do disagree with the inhumane treatment of farm animals.

I would say if you are considering going vegetarian, friend some other vegetarians, it's good to have the support and someone to have a yummy dinner with. Don't beat yourself up if you slip up and have meat. Recognize why you ate it and how you feel about it and move on. I also think it is a good idea to really understand and stand by the reasons you want to be vegetarian. It is actually a lot easier than meat eaters could ever imagine. :happy:

TheMaidOfAstolat

Feel free to PM me. I've been a vegetarian my entire life and was a vegan for five years. I'll be more than happy to give you any advice that I can and offer support when you need it.
I opened my eyes at a very young age as to what was being done to animals and it made me a pretty hard core advocate for animal rights/liberation.
Good luck on this journey.
:flowerforyou:

mandster

Hi

I've been vegetarian all of my adult life. Was force-fed meat up to the age of 15 as my parents thought vege= unhealthy. (I reminded them of that when the BSE scandal hit!) I've always been very healthy though and have never craved meat.

My advice would be:
*go easy and first to get used to a new way of eating
*read up on being vegetarian so that you are getting all the right nutrients (like eating a cereal with pules eg beans and toast!)
*Try out foods that might be new to you like tofu and quorn and different ways to cook them
*Don't let anyone else put you off

Oh and eat lots of soup! Great, easy way to eat your pulses when you are new to cooking them and fills you up to help with your diet.

Good luck.

Mandy

kidtechnical

I'm not vegetarian, but I'm fussy about the meat I buy and make sure it's reared and culled to British standards (I'm in the UK). Other countries have different standards, they may be worse, they may be better, I have no way of knowing from a pack. Often I'll go to the supermarket and find the same meat has been flown in from a different country is cheaper. I avoid that, that way I'm eating meat to our high standards (we have icons etc to guide us on the packaging) and I'm eating locally which both more ecologically friendly and economically friendly. In fact it's just occurred to me that shopping that way was my 2010 resolution and I stuck to it :-)

kylielouttit

This is a great thread and has got me thinking about going veg....again. I have tried a few times and it never works out because I don't know how to replace my protein. I HATE tofu and fake-meat.

TheMaidOfAstolat

This is a great thread and has got me thinking about going veg....again. I have tried a few times and it never works out because I don't know how to replace my protein. I HATE tofu and fake-meat.

I understand about the fake meats...I rarely eat them. However....tofu you should try again and again. There are so many ways to prepare it. But either way...you can still go veg without tofu if you want to. Seitain, tempeh, lentils, beans, other pulces, nutritional yeast, vegan protein powder (I like Vega)....there are tons of options for getting your protein in.

AskTracyAnnK28

I was a vegetarian from 1987 (when I was 14) to 2001. For me, I started to crave meat again and as a single parent, found it too difficult and costly to prepare seperate meals for my son and I all the time.

TheMaidOfAstolat

I was a vegetarian from 1987 (when I was 14) to 2001. For me, I started to crave meat again and as a single parent, found it too difficult and costly to prepare seperate meals for my son and I all the time.

No need to prepare seperate meals....children can be veg too. But if you started to crave meat again...it doesn't matter anyways...but best of luck.

mama2lmcjd

I eat mostly veg, and almost no dairy/eggs (my kids are allergic, and I'm not cooking four different meals). I didn't eat eggs or dairy for two years when my son was nursing (he is allergic and reacted if I ate them), and after a while, I didn't miss them. Plus, I don't have my gallbladder anymore so most egg/dairy laden foods make me physically ill.

With that said, vegan isn't sustainable for me. I tried it when I was already off egg/dairy and I was Miserable. I just couldn't get adequate protein (and one of my best friends is a nutritionist and vegan and was helping me, so it wasn't from lack of ideas or options) - it was too much carbohydrate to get the protein I needed. I can do mostly veg with a little meat for protein and am ok. I think it's all about what works for your body.

anovasjo

if you need any motivation read the book "eating animals" by jonathan safran foer. (or something like that)

I agree, Eating Animals is a really exceptional book.

Safran Foer is about to become a father and realizes he will soon be responsible for his child's view of the world. He decides to research what it means to eat animals- not only recounting the journey from farm to plate for different types of animals, but interviewing "family run" slaughter houses, ranchers, PETA members, and anybody else who will talk to him about eating animals. The thing I love about this book is its references- the back 10 or 20 pages are packed with citations, and Safran Foer employed 3 fact-checkers during the writing process so he could try and be as objective as possible.

Anybody who feels like eating meat isn't explored closely enough in their lives- anybody who buys a skinless boneless chicken breast at the grocery store and doesn't know where it came from or what has been done to the meat NEEDS to read this book. Making the choice to eat something that was once alive means that you are agreeing with the practices that you are supporting with your purchasing decisions.

2hdesign

I doubt I'll ever be a vegetarian, as my husband is a hunter/butcher.

That said, I completely understand animal cruelity and encourage those of you not eating meat for those reasons to really look at EVERYTHING in your life. If you refrain from eating cow because of animal abuse yet sport leather shoes, you've completely contradicted yourself.

Honestly? I'm a bit jealous... I don't know if I could live without meat and cheese.

TheMaidOfAstolat

I doubt I'll ever be a vegetarian, as my husband is a hunter/butcher.

That said, I completely understand animal cruelity and encourage those of you not eating meat for those reasons to really look at EVERYTHING in your life. If you refrain from eating cow because of animal abuse yet sport leather shoes, you've completely contradicted yourself.

Honestly? I'm a bit jealous... I don't know if I could live without meat and cheese.

Which is why I own no leather, no fur, no silk, no cashmere, no make-up containing animal by products nor were they tested on animals. PETA's site is full of great lists for those starting out on the vegan lifestyle.

FattieBeGone

I became a vegetarian about a year ago after seeing a documentary on tv about chickens.After watching it I just wasn't able to seperate animals from what was on my plate,before it never bothered me,I could totally seperate the two but not any more. Since becoming vegetarian I realised how little meat I actually used to eat,it was mostly chicken+bacon but meat substitutes are very good. I used to think of a vegetarian diet as being really restrictive but it's really not.