Vegetarianism..

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  • wiggywompus
    wiggywompus Posts: 65 Member
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    Loose the "diet" thought and think healthy eating should put you in a different frame of mind. Also maybe learn about foods. I don't eat meat not because I am vegetarian I just no longer want to. Look at what you want to eat and then how to make it into your daily food intake keeping in mind calories and portion size and ensure right nutrients. I find diet plans cater for masses not my preferences so I never stick to them because I do not want to eat what they say. By putting together my own plan I stay with it.

    Good luck and success what ever you choose.
  • JephaMooi
    JephaMooi Posts: 112 Member
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    Don't forget, if you don't like something that is "good for you", take at least ONE bite. Learn to love it, your body will love you!

    I so wish I could get my partner to take that mentality on board!!

    Or my kids!!



    My daughter now eats salmon, prunes, oatmeal, and ready for this one.....ASKS for raw broccoli!!!
  • JennetteMac
    JennetteMac Posts: 763 Member
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    I have a real bug bear with people who call themselves vegetarians and eat fish. If you eat fish you are not a vegetarian, you are a pescatarian or a meat reducer. I've been vegetarian for over twenty years and still find restaurants that think if you are vegetarian you can choose from the fish menu. No I can't, I'm vegetarian!! Rant over.


    Ditto

    32 years ago I left home and stopped eating meat, which I had never enjoyed. Back then it was very definitely an option for weirdos... apparantly, and eating out was a nightmare. Still can be, admittedly, but so many nore options now.
  • JephaMooi
    JephaMooi Posts: 112 Member
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    I have a real bug bear with people who call themselves vegetarians and eat fish. If you eat fish you are not a vegetarian, you are a pescatarian or a meat reducer. I've been vegetarian for over twenty years and still find restaurants that think if you are vegetarian you can choose from the fish menu. No I can't, I'm vegetarian!! Rant over.


    Ditto

    32 years ago I left home and stopped eating meat, which I had never enjoyed. Back then it was very definitely an option for weirdos... apparantly, and eating out was a nightmare. Still can be, admittedly, but so many nore options now.


    I third that!!!
  • SpikeLangenderfer
    SpikeLangenderfer Posts: 2
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    I'm not a scientist. But here is a true fact. I knew three vegetarians in my life. Two died at age 38, and the other died at age 43.
    I know I won't risk it.
  • stephvaile
    stephvaile Posts: 298
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    I have a real bug bear with people who call themselves vegetarians and eat fish. If you eat fish you are not a vegetarian, you are a pescatarian or a meat reducer. I've been vegetarian for over twenty years and still find restaurants that think if you are vegetarian you can choose from the fish menu. No I can't, I'm vegetarian!! Rant over.

    same here iv been vegetarian 27 years it does bug me too my friend always claims shes vegetarian but she eats fish all the time i try to avoid the conversation now as we always end up arguing lmao:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • jtinker2010
    jtinker2010 Posts: 10
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    Since I started a mostly vegan, I have lost inches, improved my performance by 15% (weight lifting, workouts ,etc)...I started with the beachbody ultimate reset. It would be a good way to start as it teaches you about the nutrition you need. Really the whole deal about protein is garbage. Most people eat WAY TOO MUCH protein. You really just need to supplement your B12 and D since those apparently come only from animal products.

    I occasionally eat fish and eggs. I am not a fanatic, but I feel so much better. However, one caveat....You can eat as much crap as a vegan as you can any other diet. Cookies are vegetarian so is cake! To be successful, you still have to be conscious about your eating....no flour ,no sugar, no dairy, only good carbs like veggies....etc etc

    Good luck
  • katymcd81
    katymcd81 Posts: 73 Member
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    I'm not a scientist. But here is a true fact. I knew three vegetarians in my life. Two died at age 38, and the other died at age 43.
    I know I won't risk it.

    What did they die *of*? Was it even relevant to them being veggie? DId they eat a proper, healthy diet, or did they subsist off junk, minus meat? (btw, I *am* a scientist :wink: )

    I've been veggie for nearly 20 years (I'm 31), and for the first ten years or so I really did have a dreadful diet. Pasta and chocolate, mainly. I was a skinny little thing until a change in lifestyle meant I was no longer exercising nearly as much as I had been, and the weight started piling on. It would have done even if I'd still been an omnivore...it was nothing to do with vegetarianism, I just had a crappy diet. Going veggie will not automatically make your diet any better or worse than it is now. You have to work at that and research to make sure you are not missing anything or going overboard with other things.

    Now my diet is much improved (don't look at today's diary, I'm having a 'lazy' day!) and I feel miles better for it. My main challenges at the moment are getting enough protein, and getting a consistent intake of fruit and veg - some days I feel great and can eat loads, some days my IBS won't let me eat any because I feel so bloated and sore.

    Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that done well, going veggie can benefit your health, but cutting out meat does not automatically make this happen. You just need to find something that works for you, whether that's a set of rules devised by someone else, or something you have worked out yourself.
  • kurting81
    kurting81 Posts: 32 Member
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    You eating as a "healthy" vegetarian would be great for both your body and mind. This means incorporating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and less processed foods into your diets. I have been a vegan for going on two years now, after my wife and I did research on this particular diet. My wife who has a MS in nutrition and is a registered dietician has really been helpful with this diet. I am a cancer survivor who was giving a 50% chance to live one year and I'm healthier than ever five years later. From the research my wife and I have done being a vegan is the healthiest way to live however you can still be a very healthy vegetarian as long as you learn how to do it correctly. It's all about incorporating more foods with higher nutrients for the majority of your diet. If you are really curious about this diet check out nutritionfacts.org and Dr. Furhman's book "Eat to Live". Good luck on your quest to eat healthier. You can definitely do it if you set your mind to it!!
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    I'm not a scientist. But here is a true fact. I knew three vegetarians in my life. Two died at age 38, and the other died at age 43.
    I know I won't risk it.

    Maybe you should go talk to the millions of vegetarians in India and China along with others across the world.
  • Glasgow_Vegan
    Glasgow_Vegan Posts: 209 Member
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    If you want to lose weight veganism would be a better bet. It just becomes habit after the first few weeks. It's much easier if you do it cold turkey. I've been vegan for more than seven years and don't find it difficult at all.
  • fldiver97
    fldiver97 Posts: 341 Member
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    I have been a vegetarian for over 23 years. It does not automativally mean 'healthy' or balanced diet or weight loss. My diet in the early stages was atrocious...... I still ate processsed foods, lots of carrot cake (yum), too much cheese and bread etc. It was all due to little knowledge, lots of eating out and mindless eating. I did not have a weight issue then but I was in my twenties :) After a year or so I had done enough 'research', started cooking more at home and tried out more foods (like quinoa, kale, other grains/vegetables and nion-dairy sources of protein). I tend to gain 10, 20 or 30 pounds if I don't get a moderate amount of exercise, eat out of boredom/frustration etc and eat out a lot for longer periods of time. In a nutshell - whatever your individual needs and reasons for weight loss or diet changes are, do your 'research......remember vegetarianism and other 'diets' are really not short term diets but lifestyle changes. :smile:
  • T_X_L
    T_X_L Posts: 140 Member
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    "I've heard of vegetarians who eat fish. "

    Those are pescetarians, not vegetarians.

    Never heard that tern before, thanks :)
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
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    I'm not a scientist. But here is a true fact. I knew three vegetarians in my life. Two died at age 38, and the other died at age 43.
    I know I won't risk it.

    That's like saying "I know two people who own a vacuum cleaner and they both died early".
  • jaimemariel
    jaimemariel Posts: 183 Member
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    here we go again...
  • Kellyh01
    Kellyh01 Posts: 23 Member
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    I think eliminating dairy has more health benefits than eliminating meat.
  • fthoodbaby
    fthoodbaby Posts: 52 Member
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    I am NOT good with diets either! I don't like them and don't stick to them. However, I can do lifestyle change. Moving from flexitarian (which I have always been) to vegetarian was the easiest lifestyle change for me. Much easier even than I thought it would be. Currently I am moving toward veganism -- I eat vegan about 90% of the time now.

    Give it a try! If it doesn't work for you, you don't have to stick with it! Pick a day and try it for a week or a month. Personally, when I started I decided to try it for a month. By the end of that month I could tell that I felt better, had more energy, slept better, etc. Definitely it is the lifestyle for me. Maybe it won't be for you -- but you will never know until you try it.

    On a bright note, 6 months after eliminating meat from our diet my hubbys triclyceride number had dropped so much that the dr asked him how he could do it so he could tell other patients. Yes -- 6 months of that did what the medicine couldn't do.

    Good luck!
  • makemewannadie
    makemewannadie Posts: 401 Member
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    I'm not a scientist. But here is a true fact. I knew three vegetarians in my life. Two died at age 38, and the other died at age 43.
    I know I won't risk it.

    I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. Haha
    Well, everyone i've ever known that's died ate meat (;
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
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    I'm not a scientist. But here is a true fact. I knew three vegetarians in my life. Two died at age 38, and the other died at age 43.
    I know I won't risk it.

    That's like saying "I know two people who own a vacuum cleaner and they both died early".
    OMG! YOU knew these vacuum people too!?
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
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    as for going veg. I think it's important to listen to your body and do it gradually. It takes knowledge and time to get into it. Good luck!

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