Vegetarians/Vegans

Paige_me

I just started my veggie journey, keep sharing please!

oDapho

I decided to become a vegetarian because one day something just clicked: every bit of meat I've ever eaten was an animal, with a face and feelings. It absolutely disgusted me because I relate so well to animals. Every time I tried to eat meat after that it felt too wrong, so I stopped. I craved meat for the first few months, but it's been over 2 years now and I don't crave it at all. I can't even eat imitation soy meat without being grossed out. I mainly eat tofu, beans, and nuts for my protein now, and I feel pretty healthy. Good luck.

arcticfox04

I went Vegan for 2 months and got horribly sick. Found out I was slightly allergic to Soy. Guess its A+ for effort and F for genetics.

bellinghamreynolds

Vegan for nearly 3 years - did it mainly for health reasons.

A couple a great starter videos on subject: Forks Over Knives and Vegucated. Also, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead made me a juicing convert a couple of weeks ago. The different in how I feel is stunning and the weight loss is unbeatable.

lemanuelthelazy

I went vegetarian because I was the cook of the house and I was sick of making two separate meals since two of my sisters are vegetarian. I kind of gradually phased meat out before I realized, hey I haven't had meat in a while maybe I should keep going. So it was a really smooth transition, and I can honestly say I haven't been tempted since.

I don't eat fish, mostly because I'm slightly allergic, and I don't drink milk because I'm slightly lactose intolerant, and I don't eat eggs by themselves because they taste yucky, but i'm getting over that. I guess you could say I'm a picky eater haha.

I attribute most of my weight loss to vegetarianism, as well as my improved mood and energy. I agree that it gives me a "clean" feeling inside, mostly from the increase in fruits and veggies. It completely changed my eating habits and tastes, to the point where I couldn't eat fried or greasy food because it reminded me too much of meat.

I guess the hardest part of vegetarianism for me hasn't been personal at all, it's been dealing with the constant questions/ridicule from other people, because you really do start to hear the same things over and over and over again. What's the difference between vegetarian and vegan? You can eat chicken, right? Aren't you dying of protein deficiency? What would you do if you got lost in the wilderness? Can I eat this burger in front of you? Can I wave this burger in your face and try to convert you back?

I feel like I sound like a broken record all the time, but you learn to shorten your opinions and beliefs and health facts into short sound bites so you don't sound preachy or stuck up. It would be so much easier to just tell people I'm allergic to meat though!!!

cosmic0074

I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian (meaning I don't eat meat or seafood, but consume dairy and egg products), and have been that most of my life. The "meatiest" thing I've ever ate was bacon and chicken nuggets back in the 90's, and that's processed crap. When I was little, I went to a pig roast, which is how I learned where "meat" comes from- animals! Needless to say, that pretty much...traumatized me lol. Just don't like the thought of eating animals.

saroknight

I've been vegetarian for 4 1/2 years now and have been transitioning to becoming fully vegan. I went veggie when I was 16 - not thinking that I would stick with it forever however over time it just became second nature. The thought of eating meat or fish really grosses me out now - where as before I used to love eating steaks and sushi..

If you stick with it you will find that it is a lovely way of living - it makes you more aware of what you are eating and how it is effecting both your body and the world around you.

As for being vegan in a small town it can be a little tricky but it is completely doable - just remember when you are going out for a meal you can ask to alter what is on the menu to suit your needs. For example you can ask for a balsamic / olive oil dressing to drizzle on top of a salad as opposed to a thousand island or ranch dressing.

Check out to see what type of meat, milk and dairy alternatives are at your grocer. Scrambled tofu with bok choy, green onions, mushrooms and a little soy sauce is a really yummy lunch for me

I also love to make oatmeal with berries and a spoonful of almond yogurt on top for breakfast (you could also opt for mixing in a soy, almond, or coconut milk if you prefer)

Hope your journey to veggie/veganism is going well
-Sar

srm1960

:bigsmile: 33 yrs & counting!!!!! no red meat!!!!- sry I do eat chicken & fish-When I started I didnt eat chicken or fish!!! that was hard-& fattening!!!-lots of cheese& bean nachos-etc....This world has come along way since then....My reasons are purely ethical, gotta love the 4 legged friends!!!! hope this helps:)

SarahR77777

I have been Vegan for just over 1 year. I was previously a Vegetarian for 25 years. I became Vegan purely for ethical reasons as the cruelty animals have to suffer to become peoples food is horrendous. I had been wanting to make the change to Vegan for many years but family and outside influences stopped me. However last January the 1st I decided it was the time to go for it and do what I believe in! I do not use or consume any animal products and live a 100% vegan lifestyle. It is incredibly hard to start with and will take at least 3 to 4 weeks to adjust. I had huge cravings for macaroni and cheese!! Vegans can eat very well and a plant based diet is very healthy. I have found that restaurants in the UK will make a Vegan alternative but I do not eat out as much as I used to as you can't be 100% sure of what restaurants use! I have never felt more healthy and my change to a vegan diet coupled with exercise has helped me loose around 7 stone in the last year. Now I just need to muscle up lol!

I would recommend making the change however you do have to be 100% determined and know that it is a huge change and it will be difficult.

LottieLou13

Just need to quickly get this off my chest....

If you eat chicken, fish or seafood....you are not vegetarian.
If you eat cheese, butter, eggs.... you are not vegan.

/end
:flowerforyou:

SarahR77777

Just need to quickly get this off my chest....

If you eat chicken, fish or seafood....you are not vegetarian.
If you eat cheese, butter, eggs.... you are not vegan.

/end
:flowerforyou:

Very well said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

swirl121

I watched the documentary Forks over Knives and it convinced me to look into a plant-strong diet. I suffer from a mental disorder and several physical issues that can have some symptom relief (I'm not looking for a cure) by cutting out animal products. At age 27, I also have high triglycerides, and I'm hoping for a positive benefit in that area as well.

The animal rights aspect is an issue for me, as well. I have worked in 2 different pet stores for the last 5 1/2 years. I have owned hermit crabs and rats, and still own fish and a cat, none of which I would ever think about eating. My shifts are spent teaching people how to take care of their animals to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, around 10% is spent trying to explain to individuals why they shouldn't cram a fish that gets huge into a tiny tank, or put a guinea pig or rat in a small cage, etc, and having way too many people argue with me or try to 'bargain' with me in adding more fish/getting a smaller cage. If I fight so hard to get these animals into an environment where they can thrive (yes, I will even go to bat for the 13 cent 'feeder fish', as they don't deserve to be in a bowl either), why would I turn around and tuck into a lovely piece of meat for dinner? It is a strange dichotomy, in my mind.

Hey thank you for all your hard work in the pet stores to try and educate prospective pet owners! I'm sure you have made a real difference to many animals ensiring they have much better living conditions. :-) xx

morganfox5

I agree!

now_or_never13

:bigsmile: 33 yrs & counting!!!!! no red meat!!!!- sry I do eat chicken & fish-When I started I didnt eat chicken or fish!!! that was hard-& fattening!!!-lots of cheese& bean nachos-etc....This world has come along way since then....My reasons are purely ethical, gotta love the 4 legged friends!!!! hope this helps:)

You are not a vegetarian or vegan if you eat chicken or fish.

daklex

A few years ago I went to an animal conference. I thought that it would be about puppies and kittens. I was so far off track, and blown away by what I saw. Day 1 taught me about health issues associated with eating meat - hormones, antibiotics, etc. I was disgusted. Day 2 taught me about the cruelty side of it. That was enough for me to start to adapt a new lifestyle.

I would love to follow a vegan lifestyle but I do happen to love cheese. I severely decreased how much dairy I eat, but I still do have some. I do eat fish a maybe once a month. Once in a while I buckle and have meat (usually chicken), maybe 3x a year. I do go out of my way to only buy organic, farm fed, etc. meat. Because of this I am not a vegetarian, but I do try to live a natural, mostly plant-based lifestyle. I am not labeling myself. To each his own.

The clincher for me was Meet Your Meat. I'm off to check out the other documentaries mentioned above.

srm1960

:bigsmile: 33 yrs & counting!!!!! no red meat!!!!- sry I do eat chicken & fish-When I started I didnt eat chicken or fish!!! that was hard-& fattening!!!-lots of cheese& bean nachos-etc....This world has come along way since then....My reasons are purely ethical, gotta love the 4 legged friends!!!! hope this helps:)

You are not a vegetarian or vegan if you eat chicken or fish.

srm1960

I didn't say that I was either one!!!-Just commented on my life choices in food!!!

RawTriGal

I have been vegan for almost 13 years... there isn't any one reason... it's more a combination of what people have already mentioned here... health, compassion for the planet and for living things.

If you are someone who likes to read info from 'experts' here area few you can read:
Good news! Science supports a compassionate diet. Not only is a vegan diet good for you, it’s also good for the planet and all the creatures that live here. Get the facts on healthy vegan diets from the experts:

Neal Barnard, M.D.
T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D.
Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
Michael Greger, M.D.
Julieanna Hever, M.S., R.D., C.P.T.
McDougall, M.D.
Ginny Messina, R.D.
Jack Norris, R.D.
Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D., L.D., L.N.

and a couple other books I highly recommend: Diet for a New America by John Robbins, and Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr.
A fun vegan blog: itseasybeingvegan.com

Anyone looking for vegan friends, feel free to send me a request with a short note... happy to share the journey!

...scatter joy...

morganfox5

Thanks for all the posts! and the info- I will be looking into books on the subject to learn more!

now_or_never13

I didn't say that I was either one!!!-Just commented on my life choices in food!!!

You are however on a vegetarian/vegan thread which makes people believe you think you are vegetarian. A lot of people think cutting out red meat makes them vegetarian.

If you have no issues with where it comes from red meat isn't a bad thing to consume as long as you aren't consuming large amounts daily.

brookelynhoneycutt

I have been a vegetarian since 2009. I was already on a kosher diet, watched "Food, Inc." on Netflix, AND went Thanksgiving grocery shopping with my mom and saw the turkeys all piled up in a bin, and that was it for me. I was only 18, and though I had help from my mom who is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist, I still did not do a great job of balancing my foods. That should really be the biggest focus in not only a vegetarian diet, but any diet. In the very beginning, I had some difficulty with feeling tired and lethargic, but I was not eating all the right foods to support my lifestyle.

I still eat some dairy products (except for milk: I use almond) and eggs, but only hormone free, non gmo and free range. In a more rural area, you can find local organic farmers that you know treat their animals humanely

Make sure you are getting your b-12 (I take a supplement), since it is common among vegetarians/vegans to suffer from anemia because of a lack of this vitamin. Also, chia seeds are my VERY BEST FRIEND! They are a fabulous little super food that you can throw into anything and they are just chock full of protein, omega-3s, digestible and non-digestible fiber; all sorts of goodies!

Good luck, girlie! You can definitely do it as long as you are balancing your diet, even in a small town

s_wilson84

P.S. I have an amazing recipe for something called Spicy Peanut Lime Cilantro Soup, totally great vegan recipe. Inbox me if you're interested!

Your soup was AMAZING!!!! I added some sriracha for an added kick but it was absolutely amazing. I had a bowl last night for supper and I brought a bowl to work. Which I only ended up getting to eat about 1/2 of it because EVERYONE wanted to try it. Thank you so much for sharing.

freckles_cmj

I was vegetarian for 5 years (still ate dairy and eggs) but dropped both of those from my diet back in October and transitioned to vegan.
There are a lot of ways to get plenty of protein, you can eat nothing but potatoes and get every nutrient you need to survive (except b12) the problem is probably that you are trying to consume more protein than you actually need. I know weight lifters and such need more and there is plenty of info out there how to get more protein with supplements and such but the average person does not require as much as the average person on a western diet consumes. Lots of info out there..someone listed all the Drs and such from Forks Over Knives, thats a great place to start i live in a small town too and there is plenty to eat...the only downside being that choices at restaurants are limited.
A note about B12 as well...the average person has about a 2-3 yr supply stored in their liver, and B12 is actually produced in the ground, not in animals, but they consume it because they dont wash their food There are supplements and things like nutritional yeast that will provide plenty of B12, the yeast is my fave choice...its great dusted on popcorn since it has a cheezy flavor

eosabraxas

I've been a vegetarian for 11 years (since I was 9) and it has been 2 years since I became a vegan...but it's not difficult at all, there are so many yummi things that we can eat that are also good for our body!!

charismanoodles

Hmm, my reason is that eating meat makes me feel like a zombie and I think meat tastes disgusting...never liked it as a kid, so my mum never made me eat it and I'm still the same today!

pdworkman

I agree about getting your B-12, but I wouldn't say it is *common* among vegetarians/vegans to suffer from anemia because of it. In fact, the only people I personally know with B-12 problems are not vegans, but celiacs.

Make sure you are getting your b-12 (I take a supplement), since it is common among vegetarians/vegans to suffer from anemia because of a lack of this vitamin. Also, chia seeds are my VERY BEST FRIEND! They are a fabulous little super food that you can throw into anything and they are just chock full of protein, omega-3s, digestible and non-digestible fiber; all sorts of goodies!

tjhstjhs

I'm cooking more vegan recipes lately just so I can cook vegan when my bro in law comes to visit. It is a blast for me to try to come up with faux meat. I just tried vegan crab cakes and now I made some seitan. The seitan was the best and most versitle meat replacement I've found, but it's gluten. What's the deal with gluten? Is it all out bad for you or is it just some people have problems with it? Wow.. I made some fake anchovies with it today and put it in a ceasar salad and it was great! Oooops... I did detract from the veganism by using fish sauce but it was good. I know hard core vegans usually don't think about meat substitutes per se...but I'd love to hear your experiences with tofu, tempeh, seitan..etc...

brookelynhoneycutt

There are supplements and things like nutritional yeast that will provide plenty of B12, the yeast is my fave choice...its great dusted on popcorn since it has a cheezy flavor

LOVE NUTRITIONAL YEAST ON POPCORN!! So yummy

britkneemeyer

I've been a vegetarian for around 5 years, i was vegan for 3 of those. I am currently a vegetarian but i still eat vegan meals often. I plan on going back to vegan pretty soon but im taking it slow so i don't fall off the wagon again. I've lost about 115 pounds since i was 18 so it's been decently successful. I went veggie for the animals though. Meat and fish now gross me out.

jjrichard83

I have gone to a "plant based" diet. I guess the proper term is flexatarian. I can't say vegan b/c I still eat honey from time to time.

I will still eat meat and cheese again in my life, so I wont say vegan b/c it's a lifestyle that I dable, but not fully submerge in.


Also for those who talk about protein and B12 issues - The guides are wrong, and someone my size should be eating 180g of protein (not true) I do very well on 80-120g/day & the B12 thing.... B12 DOES NOT come from animals - the animals get it from their diets which is... PLANTS! The big difference - they dont wash their food before they eat it, and we do.

B12 also takes up to 5 years to deplete from the system, so even taking a supplement once every month or two is good - meat eaters have a whole magnitude of their own problems.