any former vegetarians here?

justforeva

I've been a vegetarian since the summer of 2012. My parents want me to stop

Why did you stop and start eating meat again?

Mutant13

I went veggie for three years as a teenager. I vaguely mentioned trying it to my stepdad. He laughed, and said "you wouldn't last a week!"
Stubbornness kept me at it. I went back because ribs.

ThriftyChica12

used to be vegetarian for years, now i am vegan.

RoseDarrett

Was vegetarian,went vegan,went vegetarian again,had breathing issues,just thought it was my asthma,turns out I had a blood condition that means my red blood cells are not very effective in acquiring and distributing oxygen,I eat seafood,still struggling with meat though.

I eat it cos I have to

Themuseinme

Craved meat one day after 27 yrs as vegetarian without a single craving-I craved it one day -weird day before i craved sunflower seeds-this was when I gave up soy after being diagnosed with thyroid problems ..But I also have higher need for B vitamins than average person- -and found out that without B6 amino acids don't combine to form complete proteins.at the time I was pretty stressed going thru bad divorce n stress wipes out B6, which is needed every day as our bodies don't store it.

My advice for you is to take a B complex daily, 50 -100 mg or use nutritional yeast-especially if you use contraceptives, drink or under stress,as these rob body of B6.also eat a lot of kelp and ,iodized salt, and you,ll be fine.

now_or_never13

WHy do your parents want you to give it up? It's your life and your choice. Don't change your diet for someone else.

I am vegetarian and have been since June 2012. It just came a time that meat disgusted me even though I always loved the flavour of it. I choose not to eat it... not everyone understands but I won't go back to eating meat for anyone but myself. I'm glad my family and my inlaws were supportive.

smae1980

I came vegetarian when I was 15, almost 16 years old. My dad wanted me to stop also, but I just started using my own money from working to buy my own food, so he had no say, really. This was 16 years ago. Don't stop because someone wants you to, but only if you want to or if you have major health problems and your specialist recommends it. This is your choice and your body, and if you are here that means you are over 18 and an adult who can make her own choices

azalea617

I'm veg right now and almost vegan.

It's your choice regarding what you want to put into your body. I can understand if maybe you're still living at home and they feel that if they're buying the food, you eat what they want. But that's a crap excuse. Start making your own food if you have to.

Go onto the PETA website and read all the nutritional info they have about being vegetarian. As much as people criticize PETA for their actions, they have great information regarding a veg diet. It's under the issues section, regarding food. I actually just printed out a bunch of it the other night to give to my grandmother because she was giving my mom a hard time about being vegan and not getting enough this and that. If you eat a well-balanced diet and not just a bunch of junk, then you will be absolutely fine. Maybe showing your parents that information will make them realize you can get everything you need without eating meat. Just make sure you add a B supplement or nutritional yeast, like someone said.

That's why people fail and say they felt horrible...they're not eating the right things usually. You have to research and find out the best way to plan your food (which everyone should do anything, regardless of how they eat).

curiouspeach

I was a veggie for a few years; then I stopped being one, to become a vegan. Meat is totally unnecessary in your diet ( - as are dairy and eggs, but that's irrelevant to your question). There's no need to go back to eating meat unless you want to. You can also show your parents loads of sites online that will assure them of the health benefits of not eating meat.

If you believe that eating meat is immoral, then you should not allow someone to pressure you in to it just because it is a social norm. Be true to what you believe. If your parents don't like it, cook for yourself.

ValerieMartini2Olives

I didn't eat meat for about 7 months. I only went back to eating meat because I got pregnant and my ob/gyn recommended to not be vegetarian. After I have the baby, I plan to slowly phase back to no meat/very little meat.

ShannonECTD

I was a vegetarian then went vegan for 2 years. I stopped eating meat cos i was 18 and felt bad for the animals and the planet and just thought meat was gross.

I started eating meat again cos i met my now husband who would NEVER EVER go veg and i got sick of cooking 2 different meals. So convenience plays a big part. If i was single I would probably add more meatless meals to my menu.

And as far as your parents telling you what kind of food you should eat.... pssshh I say eat how you want! Unless you're under 18 jobless and living under their roof then you kinda have to eat what they buy if they are unwilling to accommodate your lifestyle.

desneiges

I was vegetarian for 4 years. I read Peter Singer's Animal Liberation and found his arguments about the immorality of inflicting suffering on a sentient being to be very persuasive.

Buy your parents one of his books on the ethics of eating animals and I am pretty sure they will understand.

Unfortunately, I am sad to say that I did return to eating meat, for terrible reasons related to convenience, but I regret it and have resolved to return to vegetarianism and then move to vegan.

My sister has been vegetarian since she was 14. My parents were against it, but she perservered. She is now 25 and very healthy (except she occasionally will order a BigMac - no meat).

justforeva

same, i like the taste but the process of handling the animal disgusted me.
As of my parents, they were supportive at first but later, even though i usually cook my own meals, they got annoyed that they had to cook different food for me. and when we went over to other peoples house it was just too much work to ask THEM to prepare another dish or to take my own food.

I wont give up

gingerveg

used to be vegetarian for years, now i am vegan.

Been vegetarian and/or vegan for 25+ years and have no plans to give it up! OP if you want to give it up then give it up but don't do it for someone else.

Nothing personal and not directed at you, but these types of threads strike me as a little "misery loves company" syndrome. The person giving up what they believe might as well ask something like: "I believe in monogamy but I'm thinking of cheating on my partner, has anyone done it? Tell me how and why". So in other words people looking for affirmations to do something they really believe is wrong.

Yes it's easier to be omni, it's also easier to not put effort into a relationship, easier to sit on your butt eating ice cream and gain weight, easier to drop out of school than work for a degree...and so on. If you believe (the general you) in vegetarianism then commit. If you need to give it up give it up but own that --do not make excuses. if you need to give it up temporarily have a solid plan to get back on track. Don't be one if those "I used to be veg but it made me sick". Being veg does not make you sick. Making poor food choices makes one sick. In the 40 years I've been on this planet I've known exactly 1 person who legitimately had to start adding seafood for health reasons. So yes people like this exists but mostly people just make excuses and then seek affirmation from others who have given up so they can bash vegetarianism together. Misery loves company. Once you know you know, and you cannot unknow something. It will eat you away from the inside if you don't live your principles.

PapaverSomniferum

I'm a recovering vegan/vegetarian. For the last two years I've occasionally eaten eggs, raw milk, cheese, yogurt, sea-food, and gelatin. mostly out of convenience.

I still barely eat animal products: I don't have a taste for them.

Maybe someday I'll wake up and not be completely disgusted by red meat and poultry,

but it hasn't happened yet.

mabug01

I was vegan. I developed nerve damage in my elbow so I was going to have surgery to fix it. 2 weeks before the surgery I decided to have my old favorite meal (spaghetti and meatballs), just for old time's sake in case the surgery went very wrong... The next morning I woke up and had completely recovered from the nerve damage. At that point I realized it was a nutritional deficiency, not real nerve damage. I really hate the way animals are treated, but it seems I need what they offer.

UpEarly

I was a vegetarian for several years in my early 20's (I'm 41 now). It's a great diet for many people, but it was a bad choice for me.

Over the years I was a vegetarian, I continually got weaker and sicker. I was always cold and short of breath and my hair fell out. When I first started feeling poorly, I went to the doctor and found out I was anemic, so I started focusing on eating more iron-rich foods (spinach, molasses, beans, etc). I paired those foods with vitamin C, so that I'd better absorb the iron. I was still anemic, so the doctor recommended OTC iron supplements. I was still anemic -- and on top of that, the iron supplements made me sick to my stomach/constipated. So, as a last ditch effort, the doctor gave me a prescription, injectable iron supplement. I was still anemic. After loads of tests and blood work, it was finally determined that I simply don't absorb iron from non-heme (blood) sources. So... it was back to eating meat for me. After a few months of being an omnivore again, my anemia issues resolved on their own.

During the course of all the anemia issues, I also found out I'm allergic to unfermented soy (gives me eczema), so that cut out a lot of other convenient vegetarian foods (tofu, edamame, etc).

Being a vegetarian just wasn't right for me.

fizzletto

If YOU want to go back to eating meat, do it. But DON'T do it for someone else. Why would your parents want to try and influence your dietary choices? Convenience? If you don't want to eat meat then don't let them try and force you into it. If you are old enough to be on this site then you are old enough to make your own food choices.

miasapearl

I went from a meat eater to vegan overnight. My body at the time didn't want to eat meat so I didn't for three years lasting from high school to college. Then I became lacto-ovo vegetarian for two more years just because it was hard to stay vegan in college and I was studying abroad for part of college too. Now I eat mostly a plant base diet unless my body is craving meat.

goofyrick24

I was until my roommate started cooking bacon and sausage for breakfast...

contraryquite

I was vegetarian from age 4-27. About 6/8 months ago something happened and I craved meat, I started off with chicken, but have now eaten all sorts of meats and really really value them in my diet.

I still eat a lot of vegetarian meals, and still have strong feelings about animal welfare so am very particular about where my meat comes from.

I think it is possible to be healthy and vegetarian, my Mum is living proof of that. But for me, I feel better for having some meat in my diet.

livingdeadlifter

I stopped because I was studying abroad in Indonesia and my hosts served meat at lunch and dinner most days (sometimes tofu). I still have mixed feelings about eating meat because there's so much wrong with our food system and the way animals are treated. At the same time, eating meat, fish, and eggs really fuels me for strength training and makes me feel better. My goal someday is to have enough money to splurge on one thing - my food. I don't care if I live in a tiny apartment. I like to be a minimalist. But splurging on high quality food, on animal products that are sourced locally and/or ethically... that would be ideal.

I don't think it's unethical for humans to eat meat or animal products. Someday I'd like to maybe do it myself, and see if I still feel okay with eating the animal I killed. Other animals eat animals, too. I do think it's unethical that we've industrialized the process and treat animals like commodities, not really respecting them, and that's why I've got cognitive dissonance.

I think it's fine if you choose to be vegan, but recognize that living a vegan lifestyle is only possible in areas where a) you simply don't have access to animal products, as is the case in some impoverished areas, or b) in highly industrialized nations where it's possible to replace butter, eggs, and meat with, for instance, soy and mushroom products. I don't think veganism is a good nutritional choice because you have to supplement a lot of things. Vegetarian/veganism may be more ethically sound, though.

RoseDarrett

Being vegetarian for years I was told by friends and family so many things,"it's bad for you" this that and the other AND I'M AN ADULT!!

It's your body,everyone can have their opinions but at the end of the day,it's your body.It's up to you what goes into it.Take care and good luck!!

bobbyherome

Do not change your diet because of your parents.

A vegetarian/vegan diet is perfectly capable or meeting all of your nutrient needs. A great book about the nutritional considerations (vegan, not veggie) is Vegan For Life.

To answer your question, I am a former veggie, now vegan.