Veeeegggitarian

I became a vegetarian four years ago. It was for ethical reasons. I never liked meat in the first place so it hasn't been difficult for me. I guess the major health benefit for me was that it opened my eyes to lots of new ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into my diet. I eat a much greater variety of foods now than I ever did before. Health problems related to nutrient deficits can be avoided by careful planning. But nutrient deficiencies can occur in an omnivore diet too! So no matter what, that's something important to focus on.

If you are athletic and burn a lot of calories it is difficult to get enough protein without a lot of planning. Much easier to just get the right portions of lean meat and fish and eat plenty of fruits, whole grains and veggies.

I'm currently hitting @ 3000 calories a lot of days. I wouldn't be able to get that many calories and enough protein on a vegetarian diet. Life is a lot simpler including small portions of lowfat meat, poultry and fish in your diet.

As a vegetarian, I'd beg to differ. It's easy enough to get enough protein, if you think through your food just a little. I rarely preplan my days that carefully, but I do ensure I have at least one serving of protein with every meal (pulses, nuts, cheese, eggs, quorn, tofu, yoghurt, milk.... ) and at least one protein based snack (cottage cheese, nuts, greek yoghurt), and I rarely struggle to get sufficient protein in.

If you are athletic and burn a lot of calories it is difficult to get enough protein without a lot of planning. Much easier to just get the right portions of lean meat and fish and eat plenty of fruits, whole grains and veggies.

I'm currently hitting @ 3000 calories a lot of days. I wouldn't be able to get that many calories and enough protein on a vegetarian diet. Life is a lot simpler including small portions of lowfat meat, poultry and fish in your diet.

As a vegetarian, I'd beg to differ. It's easy enough to get enough protein, if you think through your food just a little. I rarely preplan my days that carefully, but I do ensure I have at least one serving of protein with every meal (pulses, nuts, cheese, eggs, quorn, tofu, yoghurt, milk.... ) and at least one protein based snack (cottage cheese, nuts, greek yoghurt), and I rarely struggle to get sufficient protein in.

I don't think protein is really an issue at all. It's a horrid myth spread by the meat industry:laugh:
but a varied diet, as with a meat diet, is necessary to ensure you get all you need in terms of vitamins and minerals!

i did it for the healthy body, healthy mind, healthy environment, save water, save animals, save on pollution.. the reasons are endless! more people need to know about the benefits of vegetarianism

You can get plenty of protein as a vegetarian. More than enough, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I became a vegetarian for environmental reasons, it's better for the environment in so many ways than a meat eating life. Though, I'm not really again eating meat if you raise it/catch it yourself!

The biggest downside is how other people treat you..

I'm fairly new to being veggie...however, I eat fish and eggs. I switched after doing some research. Most of the things people say about being nutrient deficient are total myths. It's just not real. What is real is that I am more nutrient rich than ever because I eat such a large variety of foods now. I used to rely on the meat as the main, and just supplemented with rice and some veggies. I don't do that anymore, so if anything I am far more healthier now. Protein is in everything. Rice has protein. Everything has protein. I was reading about how the meat industry along with our government has spent a lot of money brainwashing the public into thinking that the only way to get protein is through meat. We all believe it, but it's a myth and is not true.

You'll be fine. Another benefit is that I don't get heavy-full. I just get full. It's nice. It takes getting used to because at first, you want that heavy-full feeling after a meal. But, you get used to not having that feeling, and realize how nice it is.

Another thing, you stay full longer.

It's a win.

my dad was a 'proper' hippy. he raised me to be a veggie until I was 13, then said i could eat whatever the hell i like. i chose not to. no dead animal has passed through my lips. a veggie diet can be equally unhealthy as a carnivorous one. I became very obese on a veggie diet....but live and let live ( for the sake of animals).

this is a ridiculous thread. no offense, honest. I just don't see why it matters what others' opinions on this are. if you want to eat meat or don't want to then both lifestyle can be healthy. both can also be unhealthy. It's completely a personal choice.

yours is a pointless response. in the spirit of your 'contribution', the same could also apply to what exercises to do,advice for starting runnin,how to lift weights, what macros to adjust, how many calories to eat, where to source protein,good recipe for smoothes etc.

It took me about 9 months after I started losing weight to go veg. Luckily I had an awesome mentor (and still do) who guided me (especially when it came to protein intake).

I feel healthier, less loagy, etc. SOmetimes it can be a challenge and the one thing I really miss is chicken wings but even that is fading. And I have been a veg since November of last year.

Long story short you can be healthy or unhealthy with either diet.

I switched because dairy was causing me lots of health issues. I decided to see if eating vegan would have any health benefits and it has so far, I'm not bloated basically ever, I can work out/recover better and faster. I feel better and never feel like a beached whale after eating a meal. I also don't go over on fat intake and I can eat more without gaining weight and can actually lose weight without being militant on what I eat. I eat far less junkfood. I also just don't have a taste for it anymore.

So it works for me. I also don't see why more people aren't veg seeing as how we can live and survive without eating animals or their secretions. There's a wide variety of veg food that's similar to non-veg like veggie burgers and veggie dogs, chick'n ect...the violence is not necessary and who says we can eat animals, that we have that right? Not to mention the damage that animals being raised for consumption are doing to the planet. In the economy, they are already estimating the prices of animal foods to go up again. This largely doesn't affect me aside from corn which will be in short supply soon from the drought.