Vegetarians and vegans. Controversial Topic

monty619

what is your purpose for being vegetarian? Do they just taste that good to you? Is it about being healthy? WHY!?!? Don't get me wrong I have no problems with it, and everyone is entitled to eat what ever they wish. I however am trying to understand the madness.

its usually about ethics, or some sort of environmental reason... or meat just grosses them out.

i dont understand either haha

LaurenAOK

I just skimmed your post, but I think I get the general message. That lady sounds like a b!tch. I'm a vegetarian, but I would never push my beliefs on someone like that. I totally respect others' decision to eat meat and I expect them to respect mine not to.

That being said, I don't appreciate your implication that being a vegetarian means you don't have protein and can't build muscle/will always be puny/etc. I make sure to meet my protein needs every day, I strength train, and I have been steadily gaining muscle. Meat isn't the ONLY way to get protein, just the simplest way.

I'm so sick of these topics about which way is the "best" way to eat. There are plenty of different lifestyles and all of them can be healthy if done correctly. I've known some extremely healthy vegetarians/vegans and some extremely unhealthy. Same goes for meat eaters, and everything in between.

Sorry you had a bad experience with one vegetarian but please don't take it out on the rest of us.

monty619

Quick Poll: any republican vegetarians/vegans out there?

Chipmaniac

what is your purpose for being vegetarian? Do they just taste that good to you? Is it about being healthy? WHY!?!? Don't get me wrong I have no problems with it, and everyone is entitled to eat what ever they wish. I however am trying to understand the madness.

You obviously do have problems with it as demonstrated by your use of "WHY!?!?" and calling it, and I quote "madness". I've been dealing with people like you for the last 18 years. The lady was rude to you, and now you are getting your revenge on all the other vegetarians? You two deserve each other.

Chipmaniac

Quick Poll: any republican vegetarians/vegans out there?

I hope not. If so, I might have to rethink my diet.

rumpusparable

She was rude and so were you. Her behavior doesn't make yours right.

And being vegetarian or vegan doesn't make one a twig or not strong or have a lot of stamina or any such. There are many athletes and bodybuilders who are either veggie or vegan.

cheshirequeen

Quick Poll: any republican vegetarians/vegans out there?

I hope not. If so, I might have to rethink my diet.

agreed:laugh:

Chipmaniac

Started out as a picky eater as a kid & wouldn't want to eat my pets, so why would I eat another animal? I don't have a lot of trouble finding replacement foods (veggie burgers, etc), and after not eating it for almost 18 yrs I dunno what my body would do! Plus the things I've seen/heard about all the weird hormones & 3-headed chickens just freaks me out too much.

Wow. I've been a vegetarian for 18 years and made the switch for the same reasons. The health benefits are just a bonus. My dad died of prostate cancer and recent research indicates that my diet might save me from the same fate.

justplainoleanne

Having been a meat eater for over 50 years, I think I can say a little something here. I am now a vegan. Why? Two of my doctors are trying to keep me from dying a slow horrible death. Do they recommend this to everyone? No. I have been on a vegan diet for about 8 weeks now and I can honestly tell you that for the last six weeks I have felt better than I did for more than 25 years. I personally do not begrudge meateaters their diets nor would I have the nerve to approach anyone and harass them about their eating habits until they weighed in on me first.

I work with some rude pigs who feel it necessary to harass me about my new diet. As far as I am concerned (and I have told them) if you are female, under 5'5" and weigh 250 plus pounds and want to give me diet advice while stuffing your face with buttered rolls that you have added butter to, eating a steak after having checked your blood sugar and popping pills for your fatty liver disease, you deserve a rude reply.

We need to live and let live and learn to accept other peoples differences. Just because I want to eat vegetables and avoid all meat products do not mean that I have the right to be rude to you. LIkewise if you eat mostly animal products and avoid vegetables and fruits does not give you the right to harass me.

By the way, I am a Republican

cheshirequeen

the 3 headed chicken part made me laugh. never heard of that. ive heard of a two headed snake and turtle, haha. just kidding. also the pink slime was just as sickening

Tapemymouthshutplease

I read a book called Skinny *****, I thought it was just another diet book, with good tips on healthy eating, however I got a lot more than I bargained for! I learned things about how chickens, pigs and cows are treated before they are slaughtered for food. The pigs were so fat, they could no longer walk, they were kept in pens where they could never even turn around, so the workers litterally kicked them so they rolled down these chutes to be slaughtered. It was so pitiful it made me cry. The chickens had their beaks cut off so they couldn't peck each other or the workers, and it was just inhumane. Not to mention how they herded the unsuspecting cows into these big metal pens, turned them upside down while some idiot with a dull looking knife sawed on it's neck cutting it (all the while the poor cow is screaming) unitl it bled to death. Then I got to read how they inject the cows with antibiotics and various steroids to keep them somewhat healthy, but when you eat that meat you are eating those chemicals as well! I feel guilty whenever I eat meat, simply because I know I am contributing to the pain, misery and mistreatment of animals. Sure, we all have the right to eat meat, we dominate all animals on the planet, but is it really good for us? Probably not with all the chemicals they inject into the poor animals. I would never approach someone in a restaraunt and attack them for what they are eating, that is just crazy, but I really can relate to vegetarians. I agree that it is a healthy lifestyle, and it is always good to be kind to animals, all animals.

wild_wild_life

I've been a vegetarian for 22 years. For me, it's not about killing the animals, but the mistreatment they receive when they are grown and sold as a commodity. If I had to eat meat to survive or even be healthy, I would, but I don't. I rarely speak about it to other people, and only if they ask. Honestly though I don't know how, if you were fully aware of all the facts, anyone could go on supporting the meat industry in good conscience. I try not to think about it and accept people's choices.

fuzz_pawz

I am also a vegetarian...but my husband is not. I still cook meat for him, and I can still handle meat (wait, that didn't come out right....)

As a vegetarian, I respect EVERYONE's personal choices for their dietary preferences.
My husband still eats meat so it's not like I can say I've cut it completely from my life.
I think the person you happened to run into was just being an idiot...

She doesn't know you from a hole in the wall, she should be concerned with herself, not people she doesn't know.

To be honest, in MY opinion, I don't believe in full being full unless you know exactly what you are doing....I could NEVER be full vegan because I think I would lack a lot of important nutrients just because I don't understand how to properly supplement and all that jazz. But to each his own.

I am a vegetarian, I do it partly to respect animals (hell, I work with them, I should be respecting them!) but I can't use it as a main reason because I still do purchase meat, I just choose not to eat it.
I did it more for a change, a lifestyle change, And it worked for me....I lost a good chunk of weight....but that doesn't mean it will work for someone else.

Yes- it is hideous and disgusting what they do to animals in slaughter houses...but humans are omnivores, for many many many many many many (etc etc) years we have eaten animal protein, it's in our makeup.
I don't deny that we have all been eating animal protein for years...but as Lauren pointed out, it is not the only source for protein.

Anyway, I am also sorry to hear of your bad experience, but not all of us are this way.

Lea_8D

After reading only read the first post and a few of the following replies, I have to say this post seems to me to be complete troll bait. You felt like having an argument with vegetarians, so you set up a "straw man" (or straw lady) to represent the way you feel vegetarians are, so you can present your anti-veg rant. I seriously doubt this incident actually occurred.

sunshine__angel

I have been a vegetarian since I was 13 years old and will be 26 this year - literally half my life. I couldn't care less what other people eat, my parents, brother, fiancé and best friends eat meat. I cannot believe anyone would have the nerve to go up to a complete stranger and say this!! That being said, you handled it well and if someone was so ignorant to me, I probably would've thrown my "disgusting" food right at them. I suppose that is immature but she really should mind her own business. She has the right to not eat meat if she chooses, just as you have the right to eat what you enjoy. People like this need to find a hobby.

pdworkman

Holy crap! How inexcusably rude!

I have had a number of meat-eaters tease me or criticize me about my food choices, but I would never dream of walking up to a friend, let alone a stranger, and start criticizing them about their food choices. Good grief. And obviously she didn't convert you! :laugh:

Why am I vegetarian? Ethical, taste, and eating meat makes me puke for three days.

pundas

Growing up, I rarely ate meat. I just never liked the taste or texture of it. I had my first hamburger when I was a freshman in high school. I am 23, and have been a vegetarian for a year. For me, its about health. I like eating foods that are raw and unprocessed. My main reason for not eating meat is because how animals are raised and fed. In most restaurants and grocery stores around me, all meat is from farm-raised animals. I understand that since man was on this earth, we hunted, killed, and ate animal meat. However, this was done in the animals NATURAL environment. Today, the meat we eat is largely sources from unnatural environments. Animals are fed things not from their natural diets. They are crammed on farms and raised soley to be killed. They don't have the natural nutrients in them as they should, and I don't want that passed onto my body. This is why I choose to not eat meat. If I were to ever eat meat again, it would be from free-ranging animals.

OceansForever

Today, after I left the gym I stopped at Jimmy Johns to get a snack. I ordered a #1 which is Applewood Smoked Ham and provolone cheese garnished with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. I sat down minding my own business enjoying my snack. Like a the normal American Male that I am, I take really big bites of my food. Of course their might be a string of lettuce hanging from my mouth or drops back onto tray. Well while doing this I'm approached by a very bitter lady.

"That is so gross" was the first words out of her mouth. At first I was going to say something like "get off my nuts if you don't like the way I eat" but before I could say anything she wasn't talking about the way I eat food. She was referring to my meaty sandwhich. She says to me, "How can you eat that stuff, its disgusting, unhealthy, and just plain wrong. People kill animals for you to eat, god didn't put us on this planet to kill everything" (that wasn't word for word but its the same damn gibberish she was spouting at me)

Being a educated fellow I smiled real big and just knew this was going down right then and there.

My response "What makes you think that this is unhealthy? Because its high in calories? My food is cooked to kill the germs that might be harmful to me. As far as taste goes I believe its very good and I might just get another."

"I'm a vegetarian and vegetarians are just more fit and healthier than those who are not" she said.

Again I smile real big "Lady I'm 5'4" 160lbs, I can run 2 miles in under 13 minutes and at that pace I can maintain a heart rate of 150bpm and a dead rest heart rate of 52bpm. My blood pressure is 116/75. I can benchpress 205lbs. I go to the gym 4 days out of the week. I eat all the nutrients my body needs. Without sacrificing my size. If I were like you and eat only veggies I would be a puny twig that can be pushed over by a strong wind. I like my chances of being healthy without being a vegetarian. I like having protein in my body, it allows me to do hard labor work without being strained, and if I am strained I can recover very quickly. If I were you I'd start eating meat so you can be healthier than you are now"

Baffled and stunned this lady was forced into retreat.

I finished my meal and I walked over to her and her friend. I reach into my wallet and I pull out a trainers card from a gym. I said trainers and nutrionists do not recommend being a vegetarian, neither do doctors. Here is card for a trainer at my gym if you wish to learn more about why your not healthy give him a ring... And I left

That made me laugh. At least you are getting it, too! So far I've only encountered nutcases the other way around and been put down for my choice of food.

That just proves that crazies exist in every group.

I wouldn't go around telling people what they should eat, nor do I ever comment on people eating meat in front of me. None of my business and I am definitely not going to argue with you about nutrition, since you don't know it either

honeysprinkles

Some people really need to learn how to mind their own business! I don't care if someone's a vegetarian and I'm sure you probably don't either, but if someone tried to tell me how I should eat I'd be pretty annoyed! At least you gave her a little taste of her own medicine. Usually I don't think it's our place to tell someone else how to live life, but she was asking for it by doing the same to you.

OceansForever

Quick Poll: any republican vegetarians/vegans out there?

I hope not. If so, I might have to rethink my diet.

So glad to have you as a friend